A 22-year- old Law graduate of the University of Ilorin, Kwara state, North-central, Nigeria, Fa’izah Muhammad, has made Nigeria proud by coming top at an essay competition in the entire African continent.
The competition organized by UONGOZI Institute of Tanzania for young Africans between the ages of 18-25, titled ‘2023 Youth Leadership Competition’ was competed for by 30 African countries including United Kingdom and India for young Africans in diaspora.
In an announcement made on their website earlier today, it was revealed that the young Muhammad emerged victorious after defeating over 1,150 participants who also made entries for the continental competition.
The topic for the Essay Competition was “If you were an African Leader, how would you promote intra-African trade to unlock Agricultural potentials in Africa?
This topic was given by the organizers upon which she wrote excellently and came out the overall winner. Her essay was evaluated by the examiners across the globe before it was adjudged to be the best among others.
The positions of first runner-up went to Innocent Matekere from Tanzania; second runner-up, Sithandweyinkosi Sivela from Zimbabwe; third runner-up is Onwuka Dabeluchukwu Chiemelie from Nigeria, and the fourth runner-up is Manda Nixon from Cameroon.
The essay competition was judged on the basis of originality, creativity, use of language and appropriateness of context of the theme.
It was also evaluated on the representation on the enormous variety of solutions and ideas on how to facilitate agricultural intra-trade within the African region.
The competition is meant to encourage young Africans to freely exhibit their writing skills, leadership skills and other inherent potentials in them. By winning the coveted prize in the competition keenly contested for, the young Fa’izah Muhammad made the country proud and also won for herself, Two Thousand (US) Dollars being the Prize tag for the continental competition.
Short biography
Fa’izah Muhammad, hails from Gulu-Vatsa Community of Lapai Local Government of Niger State. She graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Ilorin in 2020/2021 Academic year with a Second Class Honours (Upper Division).
In a chat with the media, she thanked Almighty Allah for the grace and knowledge to emerge victorious in the competition.
She expressed excitement for the award and urged young Nigerians to be proud of their country and its educational system. She insisted that the educational system in Nigeria is not as bad as is being portrayed.
Her words: “Look at me. I have not schooled outside the shore of this country, yet I came top of this continental essay competition. I am proud of my country, Nigeria, I am also thankful and proud of my parents for their guidance and sacrifice in seeing me through school”.
The Prize will be formally presented to her on May 25th, 2023, in Accra Ghana, at a ceremony to be hosted by the former President of Tanzania H.E Jakaya Kikwete and the Secretary General of African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, Wamkele Mane.
The young Muhammad has been posted to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Olusola Akintonde
