Nigerian senior secondary school students have an opportunity to compete for educational grants through the 2026 UBA Foundation National Essay Competition.
The competition is designed to encourage reading, writing, creativity and critical thinking while giving outstanding students financial support toward their university education.
For 2026, the competition has a total of ₦41.5 million in educational grants and prizes for the top five winners.
## What Is the UBA Foundation National Essay Competition?
The National Essay Competition is an annual education initiative organised by the UBA Foundation.
The 2026 edition is the 16th consecutive edition of the competition and is targeted at senior secondary school students in Nigeria.
Rather than simply testing students with multiple-choice questions, the competition gives students an opportunity to research an important national issue, develop their own ideas and communicate them through an essay.
## Who Can Apply?
The competition is open to Nigerian senior secondary school students.
Before applying, students should make sure they meet the eligibility requirements and can provide the documents requested by the organisers.
The competition is intended for students currently at senior secondary level, so students outside this category should not submit an application assuming they are eligible.
## What Is the 2026 Essay Topic?
The 2026 topic is:
“No nation can develop without food security. How can Nigeria deal with this problem?”
Students are expected to consider Nigeria's food-security challenges and propose practical and sustainable ways the country can address them.
This means your essay should do more than complain about food prices or hunger.
A strong entry should demonstrate that you understand the problem and can develop realistic ideas for addressing it.
## How Many Words Should the Essay Be?
The essay must be handwritten and no more than 750 words.
This is important: the competition specifically requires a handwritten essay, so students should not submit a typed essay simply because it looks cleaner.
Before uploading your essay, make sure:
1. Your handwriting is clear.
2.The essay is within the 750-word limit.
3.Your name is included as required.
4. The pages are clear and readable
when photographed or scanned.
5. Your submission follows the competition's instructions.
## What Are the Prizes?
The five finalists will receive educational grants as follows:
## 1st
₦15 million
## 2nd
₦10.5 million
## 3rd
₦7.5 million
## 4th
₦5 million
## 5th
₦3.5 million
The grants are intended to support university education at an African university of the winners' choice.
The inclusion of grants for fourth- and fifth-place winners is a new feature of the 2026 competition.
## What Documents Do You Need?
Applicants are required to complete the online application and upload the necessary documents.
These include:
● Your handwritten essay
● A recent passport photograph
● A valid birth certificate, National ID card or international passport
Make sure your documents are clear before uploading them. An unclear photograph or incomplete application could cause problems during the submission process.
## When Is the Deadline?
The application deadline is Friday, October 23, 2026.
That gives students several weeks to prepare, but waiting until the final day is not a good idea.
Give yourself enough time to:
● Understand the topic.
● Research the issue.
● Develop your argument.
● Write your essay.
● Check the word count.
● Rewrite and proofread it.
● Prepare your documents.
● Submit before the deadline.
## How to Write a Strong Essay
The competition is not simply about writing many words.
Your essay should show clear thinking.
## 1. Understand the problem
Before writing, ask yourself:
● What does food security mean?
● Why is food security important to Nigeria?
● What are the major causes of food insecurity?
● How does food insecurity affect families and communities?
● What can government, farmers, businesses and individuals do?
Understanding the problem will make it easier to develop meaningful solutions.
## 2. Avoid generic solutions
Saying "the government should help farmers" is a starting point, not a complete argument.
Explain how the government could help.
For example, you could discuss areas such as agricultural infrastructure, storage, transportation, access to farming inputs, irrigation, financing, research or reducing post-harvest losses.
The important thing is to explain your ideas rather than simply listing them.
## 3. Use a clear structure
A simple structure could be:
Introduction → Problem → Causes → Solutions → Conclusion
This helps the reader follow your argument.
## 4. Give practical solutions
The topic asks how Nigeria can deal with food security.
Your solutions should therefore be realistic enough to show that you have thought about implementation.
## 5. Stay within 750 words
More words do not automatically mean a better essay.
Since the competition has a 750-word maximum, make every paragraph useful.
## How the Competition Works
The competition is designed around stages.
According to current competition information, the first stage involves selecting the 20 best essays, followed by a final physical stage from which the five winners emerge.
This means submitting an essay is only the beginning. If selected, candidates should be prepared for the subsequent stage of the competition.
## Common Mistakes to Avoid
## 1. Submitting a typed essay
The 2026 competition requires a handwritten essay.
## 2. Exceeding 750 words
Keep your essay within the specified limit.
## 3. Writing without answering the question
Your essay should remain focused on how Nigeria can address food security.
## 4. Copying another person's work
Your ideas and writing should be your own.
## 5. Waiting until the deadline
Technical problems, document issues or a poor-quality submission can become stressful if you leave everything until the last day.
## 6. Uploading unclear documents
Make sure your essay and identification documents can be easily read.
## Final Advice
If you are a Nigerian senior secondary school student with an interest in writing, this is an opportunity worth considering.
You don't need to write an unnecessarily complicated essay. Focus on understanding the topic, developing original ideas, explaining your solutions clearly and following every submission requirement.
Most importantly, don't rush the application simply because there is a large prize attached to it. A well-thought-out essay and a complete application are more important than trying to sound overly sophisticated.
The deadline is October 23, 2026, so start early and give yourself enough time to improve your essay before submitting it.
Competition details and deadlines can change. Confirm the latest requirements through UBA Foundation's official channels before submitting your application.
