NCDMB names winners of National Essay Competition, awards N1m to University of Ilorin student

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has announced the winners of its 10th Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition, with a University of Ilorin student emerging overall winner and receiving a N1 million cash prize.

Wisdom David Fabunmi, a 200-level Physiotherapy student at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, clinched the first prize at the award and prize-giving ceremony held on Thursday at the NCDMB Conference Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Fabunmi received N1 million, a brand-new laptop and a plaque for his performance in the competition, which attracted approximately 5,000 entries from 52 universities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

Joy Oghogho Enogieru, a 100-level Doctor of Optometry student at the University of Benin, Edo State, emerged first runner-up. She received N700,000, a laptop and a plaque.

Ahmadu Kodan Yusuf, a 100-level Law student at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, took third place, winning ₦500,000, a laptop and a plaque. Contestants who placed fourth to ninth received consolation prizes.

The competition, themed “Promoting Manufacturing for Sustainable Local Content Development,” was designed to encourage undergraduates to examine how Nigeria can strengthen domestic manufacturing, expand productive capacity and create greater economic value.

Speaking at the event on behalf of the NCDMB Executive Secretary, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the General Manager of the Corporate Communications Division, Obinna Ezeobi, said the competition aligned with the board’s mandate to develop human and material capacity and monitor compliance within the oil and gas industry.

Ezeobi explained that the board’s capacity-building programmes include direct intervention training for graduates and artisans in technical and non-technical skills, as well as project-based human capital development that provides on-the-job training on active industry projects.

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He said these initiatives were implemented in line with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, which provides the legal framework for developing Nigerian capacity and participation in the oil and gas sector.

According to him, universities remain critical to national development because they provide platforms for generating ideas, examining societal challenges, encouraging innovation and developing practical solutions.

He added that the NCDMB introduced the essay competition to engage students in critical thinking and encourage them to contribute ideas on advancing Nigerian Content.

“The ideas, commitment and ingenuity of youths are crucial to the future of Nigerian Content,” he said.

Ezeobi noted that the competition complemented other initiatives designed to strengthen research, innovation and technical capacity among young Nigerians in tertiary institutions.

These include Research Centres of Excellence at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Federal University of Technology, Minna; Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island; University of Port Harcourt; University of Ibadan; and Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola.

He also highlighted the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad, established to inspire innovation among engineering students, whose maiden edition concluded in July 2026.

Other programmes include the Nigerian Oil and Gas Readiness Training, through which 10,000 young Nigerians are being trained in 10 priority skills required for emerging industry projects.

The Catch-the-Researcher-Young Programme, another initiative of the board, is designed to equip undergraduates with modern technology skills, advanced research methods and digital competencies relevant to industry needs.

On the theme of this year’s competition, Ezeobi described manufacturing as the foundation of sustainable local content development, stressing that Nigeria must increase its capacity to produce components and equipment locally.

He said the board established the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme to support the manufacturing of components used by the oil and gas industry.

He also cited the Nigerian Content Equipment Commitment policy, which requires companies to demonstrate their manufacturing capabilities and capacity to execute key activities before accessing contract opportunities in the sector.

Earlier, the programme consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Mahogany 21st Century Concepts Limited, Eyinimi Omorozi, described the ceremony as a celebration of a decade of investment in ideas by the NCDMB.

He commended the quality of entries submitted by participants, expressing optimism about the future of young Nigerians.

“From the essays of these young men and women, you can just tell that the future is very bright,” he said.

Omorozi added that the board’s responsibilities extended beyond infrastructure development and regulatory compliance to investing in intellectual development.

“NCDMB is not just building facilities and monitoring compliance, it is also building minds,” he said.

In his opening remarks, the chairman of the occasion and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Otuoke, Professor Promise Mebine, congratulated the board for sustaining the competition and remaining committed to its vision.

He said the development of Nigerian Content should not be limited to physical infrastructure but must also prioritise human capital, particularly young people who would lead the country in the future.

Mebine urged the winners to see their awards as an opportunity to pursue further academic and professional growth, while encouraging other participants to continue researching and writing.

In a goodwill message, the Director of the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, Esueme Dan Kikile, commended the Executive Secretary, the Corporate Communications Division and the programme consultant for their contributions to sustaining the initiative.

He described the competition as beneficial to both the board and participating students, noting its role in promoting intellectual development and advancing the Nigerian Content agenda.