2019/2020 in review: UNN Essayists’ Group keeps making history
Chibuzor Ndubisi emerged overall winner of the ICAN Students Essay Competition 2021.
The University of Nigeria Essayists’ Group (UNEG), a para-academic constellation of UNN’s finest essayists, has affirmed her nationwide reputation in essay contests once again. As in all other years of the Group’s existence, its members have continued to bring glory to the name of the University while recording enviable feats. And although the COVID-19 pandemic may have threatened the state of higher education in Nigeria and extended the 2019/2020 session, UNEG has proven that come hell or high water, a UNN student is naturally ahead of the crowd.
For these students, there was no better way to begin the session than to completely dominate the African Organization for Standardization/Standards Organization of Nigeria (ARSO/SON) Essay Competition 2020. They emerged winners of the contest for the fifth consecutive year, this time claiming all the top spots: Akunna James Ibe (Medicine & Surgery, 500 Level), Harrison Eze (Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, 500 Level), Samson Eze (Medicine and Surgery, 100 Level), Savictor Evans-Ibe (Combined Social Sciences, 400 Level), and Christopher Offor (Public Administration, 400 Level) emerged 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th places respectively. Savictor Evans-Ibe would go on to emerge overall winner of the International Climate Change Development Initiative (ICCDI) Essay Contest 2020, while Christopher Offor was a finalist at the Bible Society of Nigeria/National Youth Service Corps (BSN/NYSC) Essay Competition 2020.
Along the lines of extending its legacy, UNEG’s members also won the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) Annual Essay Competition 2020 for the seventh year in a row. God’sWill Dickson(Mechanical Engineering, 400 Level) took home the Grand Prize, and Akunna James-Ibe emerged 2nd runner-up. Even more, God’sWill Dicksonset a record as the first student in the history of the University of Nigeria to not only rank top three in the Global Peter Drucker Challenge (Students Category) but also emerge overall winner.
God’sWill Dickson claimed the 1st Prize at the Global Peter Drucker Challenge 2020 (Students Category).
Of course, this was only the beginning of a laurel-filled year. Chibuzor Ndubisi (Mechanical Engineering, 500 Level) emerged 5th place in the World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD) Essay Competition 2020, standing as the only non-Law student among the winners. As a by-product of this achievement, he wasawarded a scholarship to participate in the Young Innovation Leaders (YIL) Fellowship 2021. And Isaac Fredrick (Medical Rehabilitation, 300 Level), who was a finalist at the WIPD Essay Competition, beat all entrants to win the Grand Prize in the 2020 Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti Memorial Essay Contest. He was also selected as the Co-Campus Director for the United Nations Millennium Fellowship Class of 2020.In the Youth2Youth Annual Research Competition 2020 organized by the Women and Girls Advancement and Resource Centre (WAGARC), Michael Okoro (Biochemistry, 300 Level) and Harrison Eze placed 2nd runner-up and finalist respectively. And while Michael Okoro later emerged finalist at the Global Reformers Essay Contest 2020, Harrison Eze was the overall winner of The Next Generation Essay Contest 2020 and Top 25 in the YNAG 2020 Essay Competition.
In the final quarter of the year, the students counted down with even more victories. The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Essay Competition saw Samson Eze emerge 3rd place, while Chibuzor Obiorah (Law, 200 Level) made the finalist slot. Chibuzor Obiorah also won the Grand Prize in the Odenigbo Grant National Essay Competition 2020, emerged 2nd runner-up at the CodeRED Essay Contest, and emerged overall winner of the University of Nigeria Students Bar Association (UNSBA) Essay Competition 2020.Paschaline Onwuka (Medicine and Surgery, 500 Level) claimed the Grand Prize in the Igbos for a Progressive Nigeria (IPAN) Independence Day Essay Contest 2020. Chioma Ezeigbo (Law, 300 Level) was the 2nd runner-up at the Creative Arts Challenge for the Sustainable Development Goals (Literary Section). Chibuzor Ndubisi, Winnifred Mbanugo(alumnus of UNEG),and Michael Okoro were finalists in the Senior Category of The Future is Now Essay Contest 2020, for which Chinonso Ama (alumnus of UNEG) emerged overall winner. And Chibuzor Ndubisi closed the curtains on 2020 by emerging 3rd place at the RETINA Initiative Essay Contest, 2nd Place at the Excellent Minds Initiative National Essay Competition, and overall winner of the Coal City Ozone Layer Preservation Essay Contest 2020.
Samson Eze receives his Prize as the 2nd runner-up at the NCDMB Essay Competition.
When academic activities resumed in 2021, the University of Nigeria Essayists’ Group continued to take Nigeria by storm. Chibuzor Ndubisi emerged overall winner of the Francis Ibhawoh Foundation National Essay Competition and overall winner of the Jemila Abubakar Memorial Essay Contest, the latter of which won him a one-year Ambassadorship for the Asido Foundation. Chibuzor also emerged overall winner of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Students Essay Competition, extending UNEG’s dominance in this contest to two consecutive editions. Samson Eze placed 2nd at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Essay Competition 2021. Sunday Ogbaga (alumnus of UNEG) and Chijioke Asogwa (Medicine and Surgery, 600 Level) respectively emerged 2nd and 3rd prize winners of the IPAN Essay Competition 2021.Isaac Fredrick and Merciful Nwafor (Medical Radiography, 300 Level) were finalists at the Abuja City Journal Essay Competition. And Akunna James-Ibe secured the Most Creative Essay Award at the Farmz2U Food for Thought Essay Contest.
In the 2021 edition of the ARSO/SON Essay Competition, UNEG did not relinquish her crown, conquering the contest for the sixth year back-to-back. Paschaline Onwuka, Chijioke Ibe (Medical Radiography, 300 Level) and Savictor Evans-Ibe claimed 1st, 3rd, and 4th positions respectively. In similar fashion, Chioma Ezeigbo emerged overall winner of the Girls Just Want to Run Essay Competition 2021 and finalist at the Nigeria Society for Environmental Conservation (NSEC) Essay Competition 2021. She also won the Grand Prize at the Space Policy Writing Competition 2021 and secured a spot in the 2021 United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Space4Women Mentorship Program. Additionally, the three-man team of Chioma Ezeigbo, God’sWill Dickson and Chibuzor Ndubisi emerged finalist at the Tax180 Innovation Competition organized by the OAU Tax Club.
Merciful Nwafor was a finalist at the Abuja City Journal Essay Competition.
Among the many other successes recorded by UNEG’s members during this time span, Chibuzor Obiorah won the Hon. Justice Umezulike Foundation Scholarship Award. Eze Ifediba Angela(Agricultural Extension, 400 Level) secured the HillCity Foundation Scholarship Award, with her article published in Hillcity Magazine. Harrison Eze won the much-coveted internship position at African Foundries Limited. And Chibuzor Ndubisi was selected as a delegate for the Business Today Boost Fellowship and Business Today International Conference.
UNEG remains ever grateful to Mr. Tochukwu Nwachukwu, a lecturer in the Department of Public Administration and Local Government, University of Nigeria, and the Staff Adviser of UNEG. He has relentlessly supported the Group in all ramifications, through his administrative assistance, encouragements, and words of wisdom. The team is indeed lucky and proud to have him.
Glory to UNEG! Glory to the University of Nigeria.
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