The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has announced the winners of its 2026 National Essay Competition in three categories.
The winners were unveiled on Saturday following what the agency described as a thorough process of assessment, verification and independent validation.
In the Senior Secondary School category, Orire Fareedah Omolola of Murphy Tonia Schools, Lagos, took first place. She was followed by Onminye Olive of Faith Academy, Goshen, Abuja, and Isah Zainab Ise of Government Secondary School, Gwarinpa, Abuja, who placed second and third respectively.
In the tertiary institution category, Adelanwa Emmanuel Oluwatosin of the University of Ibadan emerged winner. Memunat Olawore Omobolanle of the Nigeria 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 Abiola Olamide Zion and Stanley Sunday Iserhienrhien taking the second and third positions.
NEMA said the competition was designed to “strengthen disaster awareness, emergency preparedness and resilience among young Nigerians,” with entries received from across the country.
The Senior Secondary School category focused on “My Role in Disaster Risk Reduction,” while tertiary institution students competed on “Climate Change and Disaster Management in Nigeria.” The NYSC Emergency Management Vanguards were tasked with writing on “Technology for Disaster Response: Opportunities and Challenges.”
The agency had unveiled the competition in April, opening it to secondary school students, undergraduates and NYSC Emergency Management Volunteers. It announced a total prize pool of N3m, with N1m allocated to each category.
The first-place winners in each category are to receive N500,000, while the first and second runners-up will receive N300,000 and N200,000 respectively.
NEMA had said the entries would be assessed based on “relevance to the topic, originality of ideas, and clarity of structure,” while encouraging young Nigerians to engage with issues around disaster preparedness, climate resilience and emergency response.
The formal presentation of prizes is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the NEMA headquarters in Abuja.