The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has announced Elizabeth Ezekiel, a second-year Medical student of the Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Edo State as the winner of its national essay competition organised to commemorate the 2017 World Maritime Day Celebration. Ezekiel’s essay emerged the best out of 180 entries handled by an independent panel of judges on the topic “Connecting Ships, Ports and People,” which was also the theme for the 2017 WMD celebration.
She was presented with an N500,000.00 education grant, a laptop and a plaque that was presented to her by Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, during the WMD held recently in Lagos. David Adetula, a 200 level student of Dentistry and Dental Surgery of the University of Ibadan, came second and was presented with an education grant of N350,000.00, a laptop and a plaque by Ahmed Rufai Sani, chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport.
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Habeebullah Asudemade, a first-year Law student of the University of Ibadan who went home with an education grant of N250,000.00, a laptop and a plaque presented to him by Mohammed Umaru Bago, chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, emerged as the second runner up. Seven other students were also presented with consolation prizes of N100,000.00 education grant each by Dakuku Peterside, director-general of NIMASA. They include Ogochukwu Jesse, a student of the Combined Arts University of Nigeria Nsukka; Angela Eze of Agricultural Extension, University of Nigeria Nsukka; Sarah Iortsor studying Chemistry in Benue State University Makurdi and Michael Adekanbi of Insurance department, University of Lagos.
Others include Laurene Ekwugha studying Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nigeria Nsukka; Rukaiya Labaran of Physics Education Department, University of Jos and Adekolajo Fasiku of History Department, University of Ibadan. Commenting on this, Peterside called on the winners to remain dedicated to their studies adding that the reward was just one of NIMASA’s contributions to the development of human capital in Nigeria. The essay competition which was open to only first and second-year students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria drew entries from all over the country.
Uzoamaka Anagor-Ewuzie
