The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Monday in Yenagoa held the 8th Award and Prize-giving Ceremony of its Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition 2024, with a reiteration of the objectives that underlie signature events of the Board, such as competitive essaying and its twin programme, the Science Quiz Competition for high school students.
In a keynote address at the occasion, the Executive Secretary of the Board, Omatsola Ogbe, said the Essay Competition is “one of NCDMB’s multiple interventions to lift the standard of education in Nigeria” and “to promote proficiency in writing, awareness of local content and its benefit to the national economy, and to engender citizen engagement from undergraduate level.”
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He explained that sponsorship of the competition is in line with the Board’s mandate, which is capacity-building and local content development, and that the NCDMB understood “the need to inculcate local content consciousness among undergraduates in our higher institutions, to make them understand that local content is an economic imperative for sustainable development of our local economy, creation of job opportunities and national security.”
The NCDMB chief executive expressed the hope that the programme would continue to generate interest and awareness about the critical importance of the Nigerian Content law and philosophy in the oil and gas sector as a national economic agenda for job creation, poverty reduction, industrial development and inclusive economic growth.
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He reiterated the Board’s commitment to capacity development of Nigerians and development of opportunities for local communities as demonstrated through the Board’s recently launched “Back-to-the-Creeks Initiative.” The Initiative seeks to broaden the contributions of the oil and gas industry to host communities through enhanced funding for local contractors, support for basic education, and training of youths in relevant industry skills.
Regarding the topic of this year’s essay competition, “Nigerian Content and Opportunities in African Local Content Advancement,” the Executive Secretary said it was well-conceived, considering that most African countries are understudying Nigeria in the implementation of local content.
Mr Ogbe also expressed satisfaction with the transparent process in selecting the winners, stating that “the renowned professors who dedicated their time and intellect to this competition” lived up to the billing. According to him, “We have built a strong and reputable brand and every project we get involved in must be excellent, professional and world-class.”
Earlier in a welcome address, the Chief Executive Officer of Mahogany 21st Century Concepts Limited, Eyinimi Omorozi, described the Annual Undergraduate Essay Competition as “a competitive elite programme” designed “to promote academic excellence and to raise awareness about Nigerian content.”
He expressed appreciation to the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Mr Ogbe, for ensuring sustenance of the programme for eight consecutive years.
In her own opening speech, the Chairperson of the occasion, Mrs Alice Atuwo, represented by Mrs A Tawari, of the Bayelsa Education Trust Fund, commended the top ten finalists for their personal qualities that brought them thus far in the competition. She urged undergraduate students to be focused on their studies and to guard against distractions that could be destructive.
The winner of the 2024 edition of the Essay Competition was a 16-year-old 200-Level student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Mr Ojedele Jesuferanmi Emmanuel. He received a top-of-the-range HP laptop, a glass plaque, and a cash prize of N1 million. The first runner-up was 23-year-old Miracle Chibuike Okoli. He received the same grade of HP laptop, a plaque and a sum of N700,000. The second runner-up, 19-year-old Mary Okogbe, received N500,000, in addition to an HP laptop and a plaque.
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