The Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) has announced that 12 young writers have emerged as finalists in the keenly contested 2025 Nduka Obaigbena National Secondary Schools Essay Competition.
The competition, held in honour of Prince Nduka Obaigbena, an iconic figure in the media landscape, aims to promote excellence, creativity, and intellectual engagement among secondary school students nationwide. Professor Abiodun Adeniyi, Chairman of the assessment panel, officially announced the top three winners, commending the depth of thought, originality, and ambition demonstrated by the entries.
“The essays reflected not only a profound understanding of Prince Obaigbena’s remarkable legacy in journalism and entrepreneurship but also revealed the strong personal ambitions of these young writers to emulate such greatness,” Prof. Adeniyi stated. He announced the top three winners as follows: in first place was Ray Eserioghene Mukoro with a score of 70%; the first runner-up was Princewill Oghenemega, who scored 68%; and the second runner-up was Egarievwe Unique Efetobor with a score of 67%.
Prof. Adeniyi explained that the evaluation process was rigorous, guided by clearly defined rubrics that emphasised originality, depth of insight, relevance to the theme, grammatical precision, and reader engagement.
According to him, the essays were handwritten under examination conditions to ensure fairness and authenticity. However, the panel noted a growing trend: some entries displayed stylistic structures similar to those of AI-generated content; an emerging development that he said would be closely monitored in future competitions.
Prof. Adeniyi also commended Mr Frank Tietie, Executive Director of CASER and advocate behind the initiative, lauding his commitment to youth development and intellectual empowerment. The award presentation ceremony was held at Government College, Ughelli, Delta State, marking the birthday of Prince Nduka Obaigbena himself. The winners will receive cash prizes ranging from N200,000 to N500,000.
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