The entries for the 16th Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition for secondary school students in the country has opened. The registration started March 18th to June 7th, 2019.
The topic for the 2019 edition is “Justice as an Instrument of Enduring Peace in Nation Building”.
A statement from the organisers of the competition said the entry requirements include: a student write essay of maximum of 2000 words, a passport photogcph of the student, full name, address, contact telephone number, class, school and name and telephone contact of the principal.
The students were advised to sumit the essay through email to [email protected] or by post to The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) International Headquarters, Obanikoro/ Anthony Oke Bus Lagos.
The statment added that the winner school gets three set of desktop computers and a printer, while the student will receive a trophy, laptop, N100, 000 cash and a plaque. The first runner up school gets two set of desktop computers and a printer and the student goes home with a cash prize of N75, 000 with a plaque. The second runner up school gets a desktop computer, while the student will collect N50, 000 cash prize and a plaque.
The competition is one of Dr. Mike Okonkwo’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities aimed at raising the standard in the educational sector in the country and at the same time sensitize the students by making them analytically minded so as to excel in their world by developing their ability to think through issues. Also, as part of the activities lined up to mark the 74th Birthday of Dr. Mike Okonkwo, the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM).
Over the years the competition has been successful in reshaping the thought pattern of the students to 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 20th Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture, scheduled for Thursday, September 5th, 2019 at the Muson Centre.
To contribute his quota to national development he started the Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture in 2000 and the lecture has grown to become a major contributor to government policies as it brings together seasoned men and women to discuss burning national issues.
It is also to encourage the writing skills of children in secondary school and also to help them become solution providers to the nation, the Mike Okonkwo Essay Competition was born.
In 2012, he was honour with a National Honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR) by the Federal Government.