NEMA gives N500,000 each to 2026 essay competition winners
September 11, 2026 7:26 pm
A winner receiving ₦500,000 prize. Photo credit: NEMA
The National Emergency Management Agency has awarded ₦500,000 each to the first-place winners in the three categories of its 2026 National Essay Competition.
In a statement shared by the agency on Friday, the winners were recognised at a ceremony held at NEMA headquarters in Abuja on September 10, following the assessment of entries submitted from across the country.
The competition was organised for senior secondary school students, tertiary institution students and members of the NYSC Emergency Management Vanguards, with second- and third-place winners receiving ₦300,000 and ₦200,000 respectively.
The agency said, “Winners in first, second and third positions received ₦500,000, ₦300,000 and ₦200,000 respectively, while participants whose entries ranked among the top 10 in each category received certificates of recognition.”
Speaking at the ceremony, NEMA Director-General, Zubaida Umar, said the competition was aimed at deepening young Nigerians’ understanding of disaster risks and encouraging them to promote preparedness and resilience in their communities.
Umar, who was represented by the Director of Internal Audit, Aliyu Waziri, said the large number of entries necessitated an extended assessment process to ensure credibility, transparency and fairness in selecting the winners.
“Emergency management must increasingly become a culture rather than an activity undertaken only when disaster strikes,” she said.
She said the quality of the entries showed that a new generation of young Nigerians was developing a better understanding of disaster prevention, preparedness, innovation and resilience.
Umar congratulated the winners and other finalists, urging them to continue championing disaster risk reduction in their schools, institutions and communities.
In the senior secondary school category, Orire Fareedah Omolola of Murphy-Tonia Schools, Lagos, emerged first with her entry, “My Role in Disaster Risk Reduction.”
Onminyi Olive of Faith Academy, Goshen, Abuja, came second, while Isah Zainab Ize of Government Secondary School, Gwarinpa, Abuja, placed third.
Adelanwa Emmanuel Oluwatosin of the University of Ibadan won the tertiary institution category, which focused on “Climate Change and Disaster Management in Nigeria.” Memunat Olawore Omobolanle of the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus, came second, while Aminu Ibrahim Bello of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, placed third.
In the NYSC Emergency Management Vanguards category, Dabagal Marylyn Mialmoen emerged first with an entry on “Technology for Disaster Response: Opportunities and Challenges.” Abiola Olamide Zion, serving in Adamawa State, came second, while Stanley Sunday Iserhienrhien placed third.
Participants whose entries ranked among the top 10 in each category also received certificates of recognition.
A media consultant to NEMA on the competition, Hakeem Bello, urged the participants to become ambassadors of disaster prevention and preparedness.
Bello said the competition went beyond rewarding outstanding participants, noting that it was also designed to nurture young Nigerians who understand that effective disaster management begins with prevention, preparedness and informed action.
NEMA said finalists residing outside Abuja would receive their certificates and prizes through its zonal directorates nearest to their locations.
The essay competition forms part of the agency’s public awareness and disaster risk reduction initiatives aimed at strengthening a culture of preparedness and resilience among Nigerians.
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