UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has opened entries for the 2026 National Essay Competition (NEC), increasing the total value of educational grants and prizes for the top five winners to N41 million.
The 2026 competition marks the 16th consecutive edition of the annual initiative, which provides Nigerian senior secondary school students with an opportunity to demonstrate their writing, creativity and critical-thinking skills while securing financial support for their university education.
A key change in this year’s competition is the expansion of educational grants to the fourth- and fifth-place winners, who will receive funding for the first time.
The first-place winner will receive a N15 million university educational grant, up from N10 million in 2025, representing a 50 per cent increase.
The second- and third-place winners will receive N10.5 million and N7.5 million, respectively, while the fourth- and fifth-place winners will receive N5 million and N3.5 million each.
The grants are available towards university education at any African university of the winners’ choice.
Food security takes centre stage
The 2026 competition will focus on one of Nigeria’s most pressing development challenges: food security.
Participants are required to write on the topic:
“No nation can develop without food security. How can Nigeria deal with this problem?”
The Foundation said the topic is intended to encourage students to examine Nigeria’s food-security challenges and propose practical and sustainable solutions.
Commenting on the initiative, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of UBA Foundation, Bola Atta, said the competition reflects the Foundation’s commitment to giving young Nigerians a platform to contribute ideas to national development.
“For well over a decade, the National Essay Competition has provided a vital platform for our secondary school students to express their ideas and showcase their intellectual prowess,” Atta said.
She added that this year’s theme was particularly important because it challenges students to consider how Nigeria can feed its population and secure its future.
“We believe the young minds of today hold the key to a more prosperous and self-sufficient Nigeria,” she said.
Entry requirements and deadline
Eligible applicants must be Nigerian senior secondary school students and are required to submit a handwritten essay of not more than 750 words through the competition’s digital portal.
Entries must be submitted by Friday, October 23, 2026.
Applicants are also required to complete the online application form and upload a recent passport photograph alongside a valid document such as a birth certificate, National Identity card or international passport.
The competition is positioned as one of UBA Foundation’s flagship education initiatives, alongside its Read Africa programme and other interventions focused on literacy, education and youth development across the continent.
By increasing the number and value of grants available to finalists, the Foundation is expanding the competition beyond recognition for academic achievement to provide more direct financial support for students pursuing higher education.
