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The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Adebayo Abdulrahman Babalola, has commended winners from the Division’s Area of Responsibility in the 2026 Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Literary Competition, describing their outstanding performances as a reflection of creativity, hard work and academic excellence.
The winners received cash prizes and commendation during separate presentation ceremonies at the Headquarters 81 Division in Lagos and the Headquarters 35 Artillery Brigade in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The beneficiaries include Ogunbona Faruq of Methodist Primary School, Ago-Oko, Abeokuta, who emerged first in the primary school essay category and received a cash prize of N500,000.
Yekini Basirat Anioluwa, also of Methodist Primary School, clinched second position in the poetry category and received N250,000.
In the secondary school categories, Alvaro Osereme Aghenta of Glowfield International Secondary School, Lekki, Lagos, placed third in the Art category, while Mishael Miracle Chidinma of Command Day Secondary School, Ojo, Lagos, secured third position in the Essay category. Both winners received N150,000 each.
Presenting the prizes in Lagos, the Chief of Staff, Headquarters 81 Division, Brigadier General MI Abdulkadir, represented the GOC, while in Abeokuta, the Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade, Brigadier General FO Onu, represented by Colonel EG Yusuf, presented the awards to the beneficiaries.
Speaking through his representatives, Major General Babalola congratulated the winners and described their achievements as evidence of perseverance, dedication and commitment to excellence.
He said the Chief of Army Staff Literary Competition was instituted to encourage young Nigerians to develop their literary and creative talents while fostering a better understanding of the Nigerian Army’s role in promoting national security and development.
According to the GOC, the initiative also serves as a platform for strengthening civil-military relations, encouraging creativity and critical thinking among young people and supporting educational development through constructive engagement with students across the country.
Responding on behalf of the award recipients, Miss Chidinma expressed appreciation to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, for providing a platform that enables young Nigerians to showcase their talents and ideas.
She also commended Major General Babalola for his continued efforts in ensuring the security of lives and property across Lagos and Ogun states.
The ceremonies were attended by senior officers and staff of Headquarters 81 Division and Headquarters 35 Artillery Brigade and concluded with the presentation of cheques and group photographs with the award recipients.
