The National Emergency Management Agency has announced nine winners in its 2026 National Essay Competition, with participants from secondary schools, tertiary institutions and the NYSC Emergency Management Vanguards emerging among the top three in their respective categories.
Orire Fareedah Omolola of Murphy Tonia Schools, Lagos, emerged the winner in the Senior Secondary School category. Onminye Olive of Faith Academy, Goshen, Abuja, placed second, while Isah Zainab Ise of Government Secondary School, Gwarinpa, Abuja, came third.
In the tertiary category, Adelanwa Emmanuel Oluwatosin of the University of Ibadan took the top position, followed by Memunat Olawore Omobolanle of the Nigeria Law School, Lagos Campus, and Aminu Ibrahim Bello of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, who finished second and third respectively.
Dabagal Marylyn Mialmoen emerged winner of the NYSC Emergency Management Vanguards category, while Abiola Olamide Zion and Stanley Sunday Iserhienrhien secured the second and third positions.
The competition was designed to get young Nigerians thinking about disaster risks and how communities can better prepare for emergencies and climate-related threats.
Participants in the secondary school category wrote on “My Role in Disaster Risk Reduction,” while tertiary students examined “Climate Change and Disaster Management in Nigeria.”
The NYSC Emergency Management Vanguards competed on “Technology for Disaster Response: Opportunities and Challenges.”
NEMA said entries were assessed for relevance to the assigned topic, originality of ideas and clarity of structure.
The agency had earlier announced a ₦3 million prize pool for the competition, with ₦1 million assigned to each of the three categories.
Each category winner is to receive ₦500,000, while the second- and third-place winners will receive ₦300,000 and ₦200,000 respectively.
The competition was opened to secondary school students, undergraduates and NYSC Emergency Management Volunteers as part of NEMA’s efforts to promote disaster awareness, preparedness and resilience among young Nigerians.
The winners are expected to receive their prizes at a presentation ceremony scheduled for September 10, 2026, at NEMA headquarters in Abuja.
