Stakeholders have argued the imperative of overhauling and repositioning colleges of education to make them attractive to prospective students and enhance the quality of the country’s teachers to fulfill their mandates, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reports.

Figures

•152 accredited colleges of education
•21 run by the Federal Government

•49 funded by state governments
•82 managed by the private sector

According to JAMB, of the 1,761,262 candidates that sat for this year’s UTME, only 24,069 applied to the over 152 Colleges of Education across the country. This  represents one per cent of total applications. In 2021, of the 1,351, 284 that sat for the exam, only 15,747 chose the COEs; this is 1.17 per cent of the total figure. Private colleges are worst hit. Some of them could only get a total of 177 candidates in 2021, despite JAMB’s quota for them to admit more than 17,000 students.

Challenges bedeviling the education sector are numerous. They range from incessant industrial action, perennial underfunding to abysmal infrastructure among others. Little wonder, stakeholders want a state of emergency declared because the sector is in shambles. Colleges of education, which are the fulcrum of education, are not faring any better than universities or polytechnics.

Advent of Colleges of Education

The report of Ashby Commission in 1958 had pinpointed many irregularities in the then colonial education in Nigeria. It stated that teachers’ training was sub-par. It added that many teachers were un-certificated and ill-equipped. Thus, this led to recommendation for expansion of intermediate education for teachers to upgrade the existing teaching force. Expectedly, Advanced Teachers’ Colleges, which later transmuted into Colleges of Education, were established.

They were meant to produce well-qualified teachers for elementary and junior secondary schools to replace the older Grade II Teachers. Teachers were awarded the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE). The four that  existed then were  Advanced Teachers College, Ondo; Advanced Teachers College, Zaria; Advanced Teachers College, Kano and Alvan Ikoku Advanced Teachers College. Gradually, they increased in number.

At present, there are 152 accredited colleges of education in the country, 21 run by the Federal Government, 49 funded by states and 82 managed by the private sector.

Poor enrolment

But prospective candidates do not see COEs as prestigious places of higher learning.  This has led to poor enrolment.

Government’s efforts to make teaching attractive to youths seeking admission into COEs seem fruitless.The majority are not showing interest in education programmes. Those showing interest account for roughly two per cent of those who sat for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

According to JAMB, of the 1,761,262 candidates that sat for this year’s UTME, only 24,069 applied to the over 152 Colleges of Education across the country. This is represents one per cent of total applications.

In 2021, of the 1,351, 284 that sat for the exam, only 15,747 chose the COEs; this is 1.17 per cent of the total figure.

Private colleges are worst hit. Some of them could only get a total of 177 candidates in 2021, despite JAMB’s quota for them to admit more than 17,000 students.

Checks revealed that the Hill College of Education, Gwanji, Akwanga, Nasarawa State, which had the highest number of applicants – 80 – was given an admission quota of 1,480, but could only admit 74. At the Institute of Ecumenical Education, Thinker Corner, Enugu, they had 14 applicants, despite being allowed to admit 2,950.

The Assanusiyah College of Education, Ipetumodu, Osun State, got 10 applicants with a quota of 1,250, eventually they admitted only seven.

The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, at a workshop organised by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) in Lagos, bemoaned the drop in enrolment for the NCE programmes.

He said: “Mostly, those who failed to gain admission into universities apply to colleges of education. In this awareness, rethinking emerging issues of poor subscription and attrition threatening the subsector’s survival in the context of contemporary reality, needs to be revisited with a sense of urgency and commitment.

“The long period that NCE holders spend in universities is uncalled for and should be reduced from three years to two after obtaining the NCE.

“We have identified some of the reasons and so, we want to now look at those problems at this very workshop and see how we can improve on the system.”

He, however, noted that as much as attention is drawn to affiliations for degree programmes, it is appropriate they note that their core mandate in the college of education system is to produce NCE graduates for the basic education level in Nigeria.

Why COEs are deemed unattractive

Colleges of Education are seen as a last resort for admission by students and parents. A parent, Mrs. Victoria Ajewole, noted that she preferred universities to other institutions of higher learning. Hence, she could not allow her child enrol in a college of education. She said her child could attend if he is not accepted in a university.

Her words: “I cannot let my child attend a college of education because I don’t just like it at all. In fact, I prefer university to other institutions. I can only allow my child attend a college of education if he is not accepted in a university or polytechnic because half a loaf is better than none.”

A prospective student, Jimoh Oluwadamilola, does not want to end up as a teacher because of poor remuneration.

He said: “I prefer a university to college of education. This is because I think anyone who attends college of education ends up becoming teachers, which I don’t want to be. In fact, teachers are not well-paid in Nigeria.

“I can only attend college of education, if I don’t get selected in other institutions. But, I will still go back to university after completing my programme at the college because I don’t want to end up as a teacher.”

For Olamide Adeolu, she cannot attend a college of education because her course is not related to education.

“I can’t choose to go to college of education because my course choice is not related to education but medicine,” she said.

Other intending candidates were unanimous on their dislike for colleges of education.

But a parent, Mrs. Faith Abimbola, has a contrary opinion.

She said: “I can allow my child to go to college of education because it is very easy to gain admission into it unlike the universities and polytechnics. Instead of allowing my children to sit at home, I will prefer them to go to college of education. I advise children who are at home doing nothing to go to college of education instead of staying at home because of their age.”

‘NCE has become  a transiting programme’

Acting Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), formerly Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Prof. Bidemi Bilkis Lafiaji-Okuneye, said: “When I assumed duty at AOCOED, there were just 2,000 students for the whole year. Statistics showed that the facilities on ground were under-utilised. So, the low enrolment could be as a result of three years spent in college of education.

“Before now, if you go through the college and you get NCE, when you seek employment, you are placed on Level 6, that is the bar of the junior staff. How many of our government establishments are ready to take on NCE graduates now? NCE has become a transition programme. It is just a transition to the degree. The certificate is no longer valid to take on employment. And private schools are taking advantage of this, they offer as low as N16,000 as salary per month. Students at colleges of education do better than those in the university. They have First Class or Second Class Upper when they come to university. They do better than those on four-year programme.

“An average NCE student spends six months for teaching practice, but in the university they spend just six weeks. So, who is a better teacher?

“Even parents don’t want their wards to go through NCE. It is only when they cannot get admission elsewhere, they come to colleges.Everything is about mindset. No parent would like to send his/her wards to college of education, where you spend three years and still go to the university to spend another three, making six years.

“COEs may later go into extinction. If you go to government establishments and present NCE, they would still tell you to get a degree. Lagos State still cherishes training of teachers with the University of Education, if not they would have put us under Lagos State University as a school.”

Strike not helping matters

Incessant strikes are a drawback to the nation’s education sector. The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) went on strike for two months before suspending it in August. This was after the Federal Government yielded to the union’s demand for the constitution of a committee of critical stakeholders, including ‘but not limited to representatives of the union, to, among others, draw modalities for the disbursement of the revitalisation fund of  N15 billion only to COEs without further delay.’

President of COEASU Dr  Smart Olugbeko, said the strike was suspended for 60 days to enable government to perfect the progress made so far.

He said the renegotiation of COEASU-FGN 2010 agreement on which the government has been non-committal, has commenced and the union was satisfied.

The union said its executive committee shall reconvene to re-assess the status of the issues and decide the way forward when the 60 days’ period elapses.

Colleges transmuting to universities

COEs that have transmuted to universities of education would not award NCE anymore but Bachelor of Education (B.Ed). Thus, stakeholders believe the NCE is getting redundant. It is apparently in vogue for COEs to transmute to universities. Last December, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), was upgraded to a university, now called Lagos State University of Education (LASUED). Agitations to upgrade the institution had been on for long.

Last week, the National Universities Commission (NUC) handed over the operational licence for the upgrading of Osun State College of Education, Ilesa, to a full-fledged university to the Osun State Government.

It said with the upgrade, the former college of education will now be called University of Ilesa, making it the 220th university in the nation.

The commission noted that the approval followed request by the state government for the upgrade, and their capacity to meet the criteria for the establishment of a new university or upgrade of an existing institution.

But, with COEs transmuting to universities, Vice Chairman, Committee of Provosts, Dr. Anene Obiakor, warned that the NCE must not go extinct, adding that it was the best level for pedagogy. Obiakor also bemoaned lack of enrolment in colleges of education despite TETFUND’s intervention.

A long wait for Federal Government’s planned incentives

The  Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, Mr. Sonny Echono, said the Federal Government’s  incentives announced for teachers and education students would improve the profession.

He spoke at a workshop organised by TETFUND for COEs with the theme: “Enhancing pedagogical skills and curriculum development for quality education delivery in Colleges of Education”.

During the World Teacher’s Day celebration in 2020, President  Muhammadu Buhari had approved a special package for teachers and those interested in joining the profession. But after two years, implementation had not taken off.

The mouthwatering offers included special salary-scale for basic and secondary school teachers; increase of mandatory service year from 35 to 40 years; construction of low-cost houses for teachers in the rural areas; special allowance for teachers in the rural areas and peculiar allowance for science teachers.

Others were automatic admission into public schools for biological children of teachers. They are also to enjoy free tuition. Automatic employment for education graduates; provision of loan facilities for agriculture, housing, cars, motorcycles and so on.

The President ordered the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure swift implementation with states and local governments, the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, and the National Salaries, Incomes and Commission and other agencies.

He also called for quick action to ensure that the 27.5 per cent professional allowance was paid to teachers of Federal Government-owned schools and colleges.

However, only the 65 years’ retirement age and 40 years’ condition of service had been implemented at the federal level. Checks revealed that 34 states have not begun implementation of the 65 years’ retirement and 40 years’ condition of service benefits, signed into law by the President.

Zamafara, Osun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are reportedly benefitting from the new law.

Way forward

Lafiaji-Okuneye said: “The NCE is trying to come up with just spending two years in the university so that when you do your three years at NCE level, then you spend two years in the university.

“Curriculum review is important too. Then,  shortening the duration for NCE programme could prove a solution, though it may not be possible because of professionalism.”

Dr. Ayodele Adetayo Ajayi of CoE, Osiele, Abeokuta, said  utilising Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities should be considered  in  curriculum review and more years of training to improve  overall quality. He also called for a change in the administration of some entrance examination items through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)

“I advocate that JAMB should organise a completely different examination for Colleges of Education,” he said.

Vice Principal (Academics), African Church Model College, Ifako, Lagos, Mr. Alao Sanusi, said: “Colleges of Education are  supposed to be specialist institutions just like colleges of medicine.

It is expected that they dictate the tone of growth and development of our society if adequate policies are enshrined in our constitution for the purpose.

“First, to awaken the interest of students to enrol in colleges of education, the sector must be well-funded and premium should be placed on welfare of  prospective teachers. To establish this fact, just go to any secondary school and test  students’ opinion on who will like to end up as a teacher, you will get overwhelming chorus answers of ‘No one’. It simply means that the profession is not  properly recognised  in our society.

“Then, duration of the course should be reviewed. Spending three years in colleges of education and later going to the university to spend additional three years before becoming a graduate in the field of education as a specialist is ridiculous. The minimum requirements to study any course in college of education must not be lowered to another minimum requirement to study another course.

“They should be allowed to award degrees to students instead of Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE).

“Their curriculum must be reviewed to impart deeper knowledge of the specific field to prepare graduates for the future challenges in our society. Take for instance, a teacher that is trained as a Basic Technology teacher should be in position to even correct a civil engineer while carrying out projects

“Experience has shown that polytechnic graduates are well-rooted in their field when such graduates find their ways into teaching sector, but the only difference is that they were not taught the methods of teaching and how to handle some statutory records in the field of education since they were not meant for that field in the first instance. That made government to introduce Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). That eventually gives a leverage to become a professional in the field of education.

“As part of morale booster, students of colleges of education can be sent to other countries that are developed technologically for training and better exposure, that would boost the country.  Students can be sent to China, Japan, Russia UK, U.S. and other countries to tap their technology into our society.

“Aside that, entry point salary of teachers to be should be set up in such a way that it will be 100% higher than the minimum wage in the country.

“Nevertheless, if adequate steps are taken in this direction, colleges of education will be a good destination for prospective students instead of universities or polytechnic and this will eventually improve enrolment and  make them to fulfill their mandates and contribute their quota to nation-building and development.”

Widespread flooding over the past three months has thrown the lives of more than 1.25 million school pupils in Nigeria off course with no fewer than 250 schools destroyed, Frank Ikpefan reports

For 16-year-old Falimata, the impact of floods goes beyond the loss of property; it is the loss of schooling.

In faraway Likdir – one of the hardest-hit communities by the catastrophic flooding in Yobe State, access to school was suddenly denied her and hundreds of her peers. According to her, this year’s flood wiped away her parent’s farm and blocked the road that led to her school.

She said: “We haven’t experienced a large volume of flooding in our community before. This year’s floods have destroyed homes, wiped away my parent’s farm, and blocked the road that leads to our school.

“We don’t have clean water. We have a shortage of food and have difficulty accessing medical services. I now stay at home without going to school and I don’t know how long this will last. My dream is to be educated and support my community at large.”

According to figures from the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), there were 1,424 schools potentially exposed to maximum flood water.

A breakdown of the data of schools affected by flood state showed that 114 schools were affected by flood in Adamawa, 122 in Anambra; 103 in Bayelsa; 298 in Delta; 154 in Kogi and 142; and Rivers State.

In the first week of October, the Bayelsa State Government ordered that public primary, secondary, and private schools in the state should stop academic activities for more than a month.

The state government said the decision became necessary to protect the lives of instructors and pupils as floodwaters continue to inundate portions of the state.

The Director, Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Education, Agala Damini, said on behalf of the Permanent Secretary that 18 schools in Kolokuma/Opokuma, Nembe, Ogbia, and Yenagoa Local Government Areas are expected to wait until Monday, October 10, before embarking on the flood break.

The flood rapidly engulfed Adagbabiri, Swali, Azikoro, Amassoma, Agudama Epie, Igbogene, Sagbama communities, and Nembe Kingdom.

This is not the first time the government would be closing down schools because of flood. In 2020, the state governor, Douye Diri, directed that schools in the state be closed due to rising flood waters that had taken over homes, schools and farmlands.

He gave the directive after leading a team on a visit to some of the flooded communities in Yenagoa and the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, claiming that the decision was taken to avert further danger to lives.

The governor, who lamented the devastating effect of the flooding on the people and communities, said his administration would not abandon them in their time of need. But two years after his promise, the problem remains unresolved as many communities in the state are still ravaged by floods.

Also, flood took over a Methodist Primary School at Agada in the Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State.

It was learnt that the school, which is the only primary school in the community, had never been renovated, except for some interventions by the alumni association since it was founded in 1929. The buildings were said to be old and decrepit, with the classrooms leaking.

The residents noted that the school lacked enough teachers and chairs for the pupils.

A teacher revealed that many of her colleagues rejected postings to the school because of its condition and the distance of the community to the town.

She said: “I accepted the posting to this community because this is my home. Many teachers don’t want to come here because it is far.

“When it is about to rain, we always ask the pupils to go home because of the leaking roof. There is nowhere you can hide when it rains here. Flood disturbs us and nothing has been done by the state government to renovate this school. It has remained like this since it was established.”

A mother of three, Ajoke Shonde, who said all her children attended the school, lamented that the condition of the school had posed a high-risk for the pupils and the teachers.

250 schools destroyed – Save the Children International

According to a humanitarian group, Save the Children International, widespread flooding over the past three months has thrown the lives of more than 1.25 million children in Nigeria off course.

The organisation noted that no fewer than 250 schools in Nigeria have been destroyed and millions of people forced to flee their homes.

It said flooding has taken a serious toll on children’s learning. Globally, Save the Children explained that the widespread flooding over the past three months had thrown the lives of about 19 million children off course in the top five most impacted countries.

It said children in Pakistan, Nigeria, India, Chad and South Sudan witnessed the most extensive flooding globally between August and October this year.

“Flooding in these five countries affected a total of 38.7 million people, according to The International Disasters Database, with thousands of people killed and millions displaced,” the organisation said.

It added: “In Nigeria, where about 19 million people were already experiencing crisis-levels of hunger or worse, extreme flooding has destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. More than 1.25 million children have been affected by the worst floods to hit Nigeria in a decade. With at least 250 schools destroyed and millions of people forced to flee their homes, flooding has taken a serious toll on children’s learning.”

The devastating impact of this year’s flooding has brought to attention once again, the issue of climate change.

This week’s COP27 summit holding in Egypt presents an opportunity to get the climate emergency under control. According to the group, the climate crisis is changing the world as we know it, with grave implications for children.

One-third of the world’s children population is living with the dual impacts of poverty and high climate risk, a recent Save the Children report said.

The research also found that 80 per cent of children are estimated to be affected by at least one extreme climate event a year.

The group’s Global Director, Child Poverty, Climate and Urban, Yolande Wright, said: “It is extremely alarming how many countries have suffered from record-breaking flooding this year, let alone in the past three months. When looking at the total scale of how the climate crisis is affecting children around the world, it is almost unimaginable.

“About 38.7 million people around the world have had their lives turned upside down by extreme flooding in the five worst affected countries, including about 19 million children. Many of these children are still reeling from the effects of the floods and require urgent assistance.

“COP27 represents one of the final opportunities to get the climate emergency under control and provide ambitious funding to secure a safe future for our planet and generations to come. The climate crisis is a child right crisis and the decisions made in Sharm el-Sheikh will affect children’s futures.”

Wright said it would take months, if not years, to repair the flood damage in all five countries. However, the scale of need required for sustainable and resilient reconstruction likely exceeds most of the countries available resources.

“Save the Children is calling on governments at COP27 to support the creation of a new loss and damage climate finance mechanism to help address the cost of the impacts of the climate crisis to children’s rights. This includes supporting communities already hit by climate impacts.”

Educationist speaks

A Lagos-based educationist, Mrs. Dideolu Adekogbe, urged governments of flood ravaged states to plan an education intervention programme for the pupils to cover up.

According to her, there should be an extended first term/ class, saying when the school vacates in December, classes should hold for such individuals.

Adekogbe, who is the Lead Consultant, Flourish-Gate Global Consult and Convener, Bring Back Primary6 Movement, said: “Yes, the flood has impacted education negatively and it’s so devastating than COVID-19 because during COVID-19, people were in their homes but in this case of flood, families have been displayed from their natural homes to live like refuges and many could not even take anything.

“Most displayed people are accommodated in school facilities and learning is disrupted.

“So, the idea of online class doesn’t apply here because devices may not be available, but what recommendation I will give is what I saw happening in Delta State, where classes are organised in small, groups/spaces in the camp. This may not be so structured, but it will be engaging.

“The government needs to be intentional in their care and love for the people. This flood is avoidable if government takes proactive steps. There are preventive measures that could have averted this incident but because of lack of value for the life of the citizen, they did nothing like building dams. This is really bad.

“For pupils to regain their lost grounds, the education ministry is expected to have relocated some of the pupils to no-flood zones with adequate provision of accommodation, feeding and clothing, so that learning can happen seamlessly.

“Government should plan an education intervention programme for the pupils to cover up, which means there should be an extended first term/ class. When the school vacates in December, classes should hold for such individuals.

“Government should not wait for calamities like this to plan. They should be futuristic because of the world we live in. Things are likely not going to be normal again and so, there must be plan to match up with incidences like a hybrid learning plan. There should be preemptive programmes of online learning going side-by-side the physical classes so that switching online will be easier.”

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bauchi Zone, comprising Universities in Bauchi, Gombe, and Plateau states, have embarked on a peaceful protest over alleged plans by the Federal Government to privatise public universities.

The protest, which is coming barely two-months after a court order compelled lecturers to return to work, was due to the alleged failure of the Federal Government to meet some of the lecturers’ demands.

Members at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi were sighted on Tuesday at the union’s secretariat singing solidarity songs as they marched to the main gate holding placards with different inscriptions.

The ATBU branch Chairman, Dr. Ibrahim Ibrahim Inuwa, while addressing reporters, called on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency and national interest, resolve all outstanding issues with ASUU.

He vowed that the union would continue to defend the university system through all legitimate means, adding that it cannot be intimidated by anyone.

In his briefing titled, ‘FGN deceitful and unpatriotic plan to privatise Nigerian public universities’, the chairperson said: “It is no longer news that Nigerian public universities were shut down for eight months from February 14, 2022 to October 14, 2022”.

Read Also: PHOTOS: Students join ASUU’s protest in Lagos over ‘half salary’

“The industrial action was embarked upon to call the attention of the government to address the lingering issues bedeviling the Nigerian public universities. The union called off the strike in respect of a court order, the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians, as well as the intervention of the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila and the leadership of the House of Representatives.” He added: “As a patriotic union, ASUU for years has been calling on the government both at state and Federal levels to accord the Nigerian public universities a befitting and conducive learning environment that will drive the nation’s well-being through inclusivity and global competitiveness. These were conspicuously captured in the FGN/ASUU agreement of 2009.

“The union is not surprised that the Nigerian ruling class, who are saddled with the responsibility of managing the country and are supposed to be at the forefront of championing the cause of partnering with the academia to actualise and sustain the nations’ inclusivity and global competitiveness, are the ones’ deliberately and actively working against these feats.”

According to him, a fundamental part of the FGN/ASUU 2009 agreement is that the agreement should be renegotiated after every three years to reflect the current economic realities, adding that the aim is to discourage brain drain and attract qualified foreign academics, but “unfortunately, the government is deliberately frustrating the renegotiation of the agreement”.

He stressed that “after suspending the eight-month-old strike due to court order and interventions of well-meaning Nigerians, the government went so low to withhold salaries of ASUU members and only paid the October salary pro-rata. The union rejects in total the casualisation of Nigerian academics.

“The union assures Nigerians that it will never be a party to destroying the country. The union will never support the introduction of exorbitant fees beyond the reach of the children of the Nigerian downtrodden; neither will it be a party to privatising Nigerian public universities,” he said.

A fifteen-year-old pupil of Federal Government Girls College, Ikot-Obio Itong, Akwa-Ibom State, Usongobong Paul, has won the 2022 UBA Foundation annual national essay competition.

UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the United Bank of Africa, stated that it’s committed to the socio-economic development of the communities in which the bank operates by focusing on development in education, environment, economic empowerment and special projects.

Paul defeated 11 other finalists to clinch the best prize at the competition, which had over 5,000 entries from students of Senior Secondary Schools across the country.

She was announced as the winner of a scholarship worth N5 million to study in any African university of her choice, as well as a brand-new state-of the-art laptop among other goodies at the NEC 2022 Grand Finale, which held at the  UBA House in Lagos  on Monday.

Usongobong, who was accompanied to the event by her ICT teacher, Akanyere Divinelove Chigozie, said winning the contest has bolstered her confidence.

“I am so grateful to UBA Foundation for this great opportunity. It has helped me to believe in myself and bolstered my confidence. This scholarship will go a long way towards assisting in my dream to become an ophthalmologist. This opportunity has changed my life and I appreciate the UBA and the UBA Foundation for this,” she said.

She would also be supported throughout her educational career and beyond with constant mentoring by the foundation.

The second prize was won by Princess Sholabomi  of  Value Spring College, Lagos. She won a N3,000,000 educational grant and a laptop; while the third prize of N2,500,000 and a brand-new laptop went to Sharon Nwajiaku of Ota Total Academy, Ogun State.

Read Also; Lagos teenager Tijani wins 2022 ESGN essay competition

The other nine finalists, who included only one boy, also received brand new laptops as well as consolation prizes, including books and other learning materials.

UBA Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, said the bank was committed to empowering youths.

“As a bank, we are interested in empowering our youth, and to do this, we must educate them, through efforts such as these. The truth is that we are launching these programmes in all the 20 countries where UBA has presence.  Since we know that our future lies with our kids, they will take Africa to the world where it needs to be,” he said.

Chairman of the foundation, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, who congratulated the 12 finalists, said UBA has been touching lives and making a great impact and has produced hundreds of winners, some of who have graduated from higher schools and have been impacting their communities.

He said: “We set up this competition over 12 years ago, because we saw the need to allow students to express themselves and convey their ideas, and over the years, we have seen that we are doing something very unique and truly African. We have given scholarships to over 60 students, and we have been able to produce doctors, engineers, lawyers through this platform.”

Managing Director of UBA Foundation, Bola Atta praised the winners  for their  brilliance.  She urged those who didn’t win to perfect their writing skills and try harder next year.

“We have been trying to improve the reading culture among the students, while fostering growth and learning. So today, we want to congratulate all 12 finalists, because you are all winners, having been selected from over 7,000 entries,” she said.

The National Essay Competition has been taken to other African countries including Ghana, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Guinea, with more African countries coming on board in 2022.