Lagos teenager, 13-year-old Ebunoluwa Seth Oluwatimilehin of Igando Community Senior High School, becomes the youngest-ever winner of the UBA Foundation National Essay Competition, clinching a N10 million educational grant
13-Year-Old Lagos Student Makes History, Wins 2025 UBA Foundation Essay Competition
History was made in Lagos on Tuesday as 13-year-old Ebunoluwa Seth Oluwatimilehin, a student of Igando Community Senior High School, emerged the overall winner of the 15th UBA Foundation National Essay Competition (NEC) — becoming the youngest champion in the competition’s 15-year history.
Ebunoluwa, an SS2 student from a public school, also became the first male winner in over eight years, breaking a streak long dominated by female participants. He clinched the grand prize of a N10 million educational grant, which will fund his future studies at any African higher institution of his choice.
An excited Ebunoluwa expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am incredibly grateful and overwhelmed. This competition has shown me that passion and hard work truly pay off. It has been an amazing journey that has deepened my love for writing and expressing my ideas.”
The second-place prize of N7.5 million went to Njoku-Kelechi Emerald of Christian International High School, Owerri, while Bayero Fatima Auwal of Cornerstone Montessori Schools, Abuja, secured the third-place reward of N5 million.
All 12 finalists received brand-new laptops and additional educational materials to enhance their academic growth.
The 2025 edition recorded several thousand entries, with submissions coming not only from major cities but also from rural communities nationwide — a testament to the competition’s expanding reach.
UBA Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, applauded the Foundation’s 15-year dedication to nurturing intellectual talent and promoting literacy among African youth.
Speaking on the competition’s broader purpose, he emphasized, “UBA encourages diversity. Nobody in UBA will ever be judged based on ethnicity, religion, or culture. We see diversity as a strength. In fact, if you get diversity right in Africa, you have gotten the whole world right.”
Alawuba praised the finalists for reflecting this ethos in their essays, noting that their submissions offer important lessons in unity and nation-building.
Similarly, Managing Director/CEO of UBA Foundation, Bola Atta, reaffirmed the organisation’s unwavering belief in education as a transformative force.
“For 15 years, this initiative has been a cornerstone of our commitment to giving back and empowering the youth. We are investing in the academic future of these brilliant minds and, by extension, in the future of our continent. Education remains the most powerful tool to lift our continent, and we are thrilled to see this programme snowballing across Africa,” she said.
The UBA Foundation has earned a strong reputation for philanthropic initiatives across Africa, ranging from educational scholarships to healthcare interventions and poverty alleviation programmes. As the CSR arm of the UBA Group, the Foundation focuses on education, environment, economic empowerment, and special projects, positioning itself as a catalyst for socio-economic development in communities where the bank operates. Read More
