Winners emerge in SystemSpecs sixth essay competition

Penelope of Abesan Comprehensive Junior College, Lagos and Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, represented by Adeomi Adesewa and Okeke Daniel respectively, have emerged winners in the junior and senior categories of this year’s sixth edition of Children’s Day Essay Competition (CDEC) organised by SystemSpecs. The announcement was made during a virtual event held last week.

Each winner will receive a N1million cash prize, a brand-new laptop, a one-year internet subscription, and other exciting gift items, which will be formally presented at the CDEC Award Ceremony scheduled to hold later this month.

This year’s competition, themed: “How I Will Use Technology to Mobilise My Peers for a Greater Nigeria,” recorded a 33 per cent increase in submissions compared to the previous year of 24 per cent. Over 4,700 entries were received from children aged nine to 16, spanning both public and private schools across all six geopolitical zones. The essays were bold, imaginative, and anchored in a desire to see Nigeria thrive through innovation.

In the junior category, Agboola Caleb of Baylen Homeschools, Ogun State, and Yusuf Ridwanullahi Adeleke of Immaculate Heart Senior Comprehensive High School, Lagos State, secured the second and third positions, respectively. They each received ₦750,000 and ₦500,000 in cash prizes, along with laptops, one-year data subscriptions, and other gift items. Similarly, in the senior category, Mbadugha Chisom Ifechi Chukwu of Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Lagos, and Ifewemeh-Ojo Hadassah Ohihioemehen of Kembos College, Lagos, won the second and third positions, receiving the same reward packages.

Lagos State emerged as the winning State, having produced the highest number of public school entries within the top 100 submissions. This achievement underscores the growing role of public education in fostering technological literacy and active citizenship among Nigerian youth.

•  “For six years now, we have stayed true to one goal: to hear and celebrate the voices of Nigerian children using technology for good,” said Executive Director, Corporate Services at SystemSpecs. The CDEC is more than a contest; it is a catalyst for transformation -nurturing the dreams, confidence, and critical thinking skills that our nation urgently needs,” Mrs. Bukola Adeboye said.

In similar vein, the Managing Director of Remita Payment Services Limited (RPSL), a subsidiary of the SystemSpecs Group,‘DeRemi Atanda, said: “We are not only proud of the ideas shared by these future leaders, we are deeply inspired by them. CDEC reinforces our belief that young people must be central to Nigeria’s innovation story.”

The competition continues to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality in ICT), SystemSpecs remains committed to giving every Nigerian child the tools, opportunities, and recognition they deserve.

The CDEC, he added, is an annual initiative that not only commemorates this national day but positions it as a platform to recognise, inspire, and elevate the voices of children across Nigeria. “More than just a competition, CDEC is a movement that fuels ambition, rewards diligence, and fosters a sense of purpose in the next generation of innovators and leaders,” Atanda said.