UBA Foundation Launches 2026 National Essay Competition

UBA Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has announced the commencement of the 2026 edition of its National Essay Competition (NEC), with a total of N41.5 million in educational grants and prizes for the top five winners. Now in its 16th year, the competition aims to empower senior secondary school students in Nigeria and Africa to showcase their creativity and critical thinking while providing financial support for their university education.

Notably, this year marks the introduction of educational grants for the fourth- and fifth-place winners. The first-place winner will receive a N15 million university grant, a 50% increase from the N10 million awarded in 2025.

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 competition's topic this year is: “No nation can develop without food security.

How can Nigeria deal with this problem?” Participants are expected to propose practical solutions to Nigeria's food security challenges. Bola Atta, Managing Director/CEO of UBA Foundation, stated that the competition reflects the Foundation’s commitment to empowering young Nigerians.