Entries for the 19th Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition for all Secondary School Students in Nigeria will open on April 8, to June 15, 2024.
The topic for this year’s competition is ‘Nigeria’s Pathways: Diagnosis and The Prescriptions’.
The entry requirements include an essay of a maximum of 2,000 words, a passport photograph of the student, full name, address, contact telephone number, class, school and name and telephone contact of the principal. All essays should be submitted in Word document format through email to essay@trem.org
For this year, the winner will go home with N500,000 cash price, a trophy, and a plaque, while the school will get a desktop computer. The first runner-up will get a cash prize of N250,000 with a plaque, while the school gets a desktop computer. The second runner-up will receive N100,000 cash prize and a plaque, while the school gets a desktop computer.
The competition is one of Dr. Mike Okonkwo’s corporate social responsibility activities, aimed at raising the standard of education in the country, as well as sensitising the students by making them analytically minded so as to excel in their world by developing their ability to think through issues.
The competition is also part of activities lined up to mark the 79th birthday of Dr. Mike Okonkwo, the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM).
Over the years, the competition has succeeded in reshaping the students’ thought patterns and helping them develop problem-solving skills.
The Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition spans over a decade of developing and rewarding the writing skills of Nigerian youths towards national development.
The prizes for this year’s competition will be presented to the winners at the 23rd Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture, which has been scheduled for Thursday, September 5, 2024, at the Muson Centre, Lagos.
The annual lecture, which started in 2000 has grown to become a major contributor to government policies, as it brings together seasoned men and women to discuss burning national issues.
The topic for the essay is also the topic for the annual lecture.
