Abuja Student Khaira Ojima Bala Wins N15m Essay Grant

Khaira Ojima Bala, a 15-year-old student from Metro International School in Abuja, won the 16th UBA Foundation National Essay Competition, securing a N15 million educational grant. The announcement was made during the grand finale held on Tuesday at UBA House in Marina, Lagos, where 20 finalists competed from over 15,000 entries.

The grant allows Bala to pursue university education at any institution of her choice in Africa. She dedicated her award to her parents for their sacrifices.

Unwanabasi Otobon Udom from Topfaith International Secondary School placed second, winning N10 million, while Flourish Chibunumoma Ndamzi from University of Port Harcourt Women Association International Secondary School came third, receiving N7.5 million. The total grants for this year's competition amounted to N41 million, an increase from N22.5 million in the previous edition, reflecting a rise in the number of winners and individual awards.

All finalists received laptops and N20,000 each in their UBA accounts. Oliver Alawuba, UBA's Group Managing Director, congratulated the finalists and encouraged their educational pursuits.