Fifteen-year-old Davina Phillips of Bloombreeds School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has emerged overall champion of the 2025 Mike Okonkwo Annual Essay Competition for Secondary School Students in Nigeria, in a remarkable leap from fourth place in the first round to clinching the coveted first position.
Davina, who scored 70% in the first round and 80% in the second, secured a final tally of 75% to edge out 16-year-old runner-up Aniki Emmanuella Onizi of Babcock High School, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, who finished with 68%, and third-place winner Maryam Opeyemi Ilyas, 15, of Isawo Comprehensive High School, Wisdom Island, Ikorodu, Lagos, who scored 66% overall.
Chief Examiner, Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo, explained that after evaluating all submissions, the five best essays were shortlisted for a second physical round on a new topic to test the students’ abilities under a more controlled environment. “The 2025 competition was impressive in the sense that the students demonstrated a clear understanding of adult-themed issues,” she noted.
However, she observed a recurring challenge — some participants displayed evidence of collaboration with peers or unoriginal borrowing from internet sources, textbooks, and even Artificial Intelligence tools. “Teachers must let them know how to use material creatively and intelligently for verification and validation,” she advised.
For their triumphs, Davina will receive a cheque for N1 million and a laptop, while her school gets a set of computers. Aniki will take home N500,000, a laptop, and the same reward for her school, while Maryam will earn N400,000, a laptop, and a school computer set. Other finalists will each pocket N50,000 as a consolation prize.
The winners and their schools will be formally honoured at the Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture Series at the Civic Center, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
Launched in 2004 to mark the birthday of the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo (MFR), the competition was designed to contribute meaningfully to the Nigerian educational sector. Over nineteen years, it has fostered a culture of research, reading, and constructive writing among students, while also boosting ICT development in both government and private schools.
Dr. Okonkwo, the chief sponsor and visionary behind the initiative, remains steadfast in his belief that Nigerian youths can compete with their peers globally. His commitment, fuelled by faith and a passion for holistic human development, has made the Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition a lasting platform for nurturing academic excellence and shaping the next generation of thought leaders.