Khaira Ojima Bala of Metro International School, Abuja, has been crowned as Nigeria’s top secondary school essayist for 2026, emerging as the winner of the 16th edition of the UBA Foundation National Essay Competition.
Khaira, 15, was announced as the winner during the grand finale of the competition, where she received a N15m educational grant to study at any university in Africa. The event was held on Tuesday at UBA House, Marina, Lagos, and had a large audience which included finalists, parents, students, teachers and judges.
An elated Bala dedicated the award to her parents. “I am so happy right now. My parents have sacrificed so much for my education, and this award belongs to them as much as it belongs to me,” she said.
“I also want to thank the UBA Foundation for believing in young people like me and giving us a platform to share our ideas.”
Unwanabasi Otobon Udom of Topfaith International Secondary School placed second, receiving N10m, while Flourish Chibunumoma Ndamzi of University of Port Harcourt Women Association International Secondary School came third, receiving N7.5m.
God’sfavour Ezekiel Udo of Federal Government Girls College, Ikot Obio Itong, and Uchenna Olivia Anyanwu of Coral Impacts International School, Abuja, came 4th and 5th, receiving N5m and N3.5m, respectively
The 20 finalists emerged from over 15,000 entries submitted by senior secondary school students across Nigeria, as they wrote on the topic: ‘No nation can develop without food security. How can Nigeria deal with this problem?’
They also had the opportunity to be part of a one-day writing boot camp with the judges.
This year’s grants total N41m, an 82 per cent increase compared to the N22.5m grant awarded last year, following the Foundation’s expansion of the number of winners from three to five as well as an increase in the value of each award.
All the 20 finalists also received several consolation prizes, including modern laptops to aid with their homework and research work. Their UBA accounts were also funded with N20,000 each as a token of appreciation from the bank’s Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba.
Speaking at the event, UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, told the 20 finalists that they were all winners and urged them to see their selection as proof of what hard work and curiosity can achieve.
“You were selected from more than 15,000 students, and you earned this place through your hard work, your curiosity and your determination. We do this because we believe in the future of this continent, and the best investment we can make in that future is in our youth,” Alawuba said. “This is corporate social responsibility, but it goes beyond that. UBA is more than a bank; it is an institution that plays a great role in the future of Africa. How can we say the future is Africa if our young people are not the ones driving it?”
