United Bank for Africa (UBA) Foundation says it will continue to seek ways to improve human capacity through education, improving environment and economically empowering communities around the location where it operates.
Kennedy Uzoka, group managing director/CEO, UBA plc, stated this while speaking at the grand finale of the 2018 UBA National Essay Competition in Lagos, where Divine Omesiri Odjegba, a 14-year-old student of International High School, Delta State, emerged the overall winner of the competition and with it an educational grant worth N2,000,000.00 to study in any African university of her choice.
According to Uzoka, UBA as a bank is happy that it is touching lives and making a solid impact through this competition and the grant it gives out annually to those who emerge winners.
“We have indeed noted the increase in the cost of living and have therefore increased the prize money by 100 per cent in all the categories. Seeing past winners tell their stories on the impact the grants have made on their education and particularly how the financial burden was lifted off their parents, gives us joy that our foundation is unique and deeply touching lives,” he said.
He specifically mentioned the Each One Teach One initiative – the Foundation’s latest initiative where thousands of UBA staff members gave back to their communities across Africa, by imparting knowledge to students and the less privileged.
Odjegba’s essay was adjudged the best from 11 other finalists selected from over 6,000 entries received by the Foundation from students of senior secondary schools across Nigeria.
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The 2018 edition of the national essay competition saw over 500 percent increase in participation from pupils across every single state of the federation.
Bola Atta, managing director/CEO of UBA Foundation, while congratulating the winners, commended them for their exceptional brilliance.
“Every student who sent in an entry is a winner. To be confident about your writing skills and ambitious enough to enter a competition to further enhance your educational path is laudable. For those that did not win, I would say do not be discouraged. Take it as a challenge to perfect your writing skills and enter for the competition again in 2019” she said.
Atta stated that UBA Foundation, being the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of UBA Plc, makes it a point of duty to give back to communities where UBA operates. Education in any capacity, Atta noted, remains of the Foundation’s focus area as it is the bedrock of any nation.
Odjegba while speaking to journalists said she was excited to have come top in the competition, adding that the experience has given her the confidence that she can face great challenges and emerge a winner.
She opines that winning the competition would help her pursue her childhood dreams of becoming a Gynecologist. “This is something I prayed about and worked hard to achieve. I was in shock to hear my name announced as the winner and my mother and I cried for joy. I am indeed very grateful to UBA and the Foundation for this huge opportunity and making me believe in myself. This grant will go a long way to support my bid for quality education”.
The second prize was bagged by Halimat Emesomi Ozemoka aged 15, of University Preparatory Secondary School, Edo State, who won a N1,500,000 educational grant and a laptop, while the third prize of N1,000,000 and a brand new lap top went to Ini-Iso Christopher Adiankpo, 16 years old. Christopher attends the Nigerian Christian Institute Akwa Ibom State. The other 9 finalists all received brand new lap tops.
