16-year-old OAU student wins NCDMB essay competition

Akande Oyinkansola Josephine, a 16-year-old Medicine and Surgery student at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has emerged the overall winner of the 2025 Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Oil and Gas Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition.

The grand finale, held at the Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, saw Oyinkansola, a 200-level student, clinch first place, taking home ₦1 million and a brand-new laptop.

Coming in second was 23-year-old medical student Sonuga Sultan Opeyemi from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, who received ₦700,000 and a laptop.

Third place went to 19-year-old Computer Science student Aguigwe Precious Amarachi of the University of Uyo, winning ₦500,000 and a laptop.

Now in its ninth year, the competition seeks to enhance undergraduates’ knowledge of the oil and gas sector while promoting local content awareness.

Speaking at the event, NCDMB Executive Secretary Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe said the competition has become one of the board’s signature initiatives, emphasizing capacity building and stakeholder engagement.

Ogbe highlighted that the program fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills among students, while raising awareness of the importance of local content in economic development, job creation, industrial growth, and national security.

He also shared updates on the board’s 10-Year Strategic Roadmap, currently 56 percent implemented, and the recently launched “Back to the Creek Initiative,” aimed at supporting local communities and discovering indigenous talent.

The theme for this year’s competition, “Sustaining Local Content Policies in the Transitioning Oil and Gas Industry,” was described as timely, reflecting ongoing national conversations around energy transition and capacity development.

NCDMB Consultant for the Essay Competition, Mr. Eyinimi Omorozi, praised all top ten finalists for their brilliance and discipline, noting that the board has championed academic excellence and capacity building through the essay competition for nearly a decade.