The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has awarded N500,000 each to the winners of its 2026 National Essay Competition across three categories.
The winners were recognised at a ceremony held at NEMA headquarters in Abuja on September 10 after entries submitted from across the country were assessed.
The competition was open to senior secondary school students, tertiary institution students and members of the NYSC Emergency Management Vanguards.
NEMA said winners in the first, second and third positions received N500,000, N300,000 and N200,000 respectively, while participants whose entries ranked among the top 10 in each category received certificates of recognition.
NEMA Director-General, Zubaida Umar, said the competition was designed to improve young Nigerians’ understanding of disaster risks and encourage them to promote preparedness and resilience in their communities.
Umar, who was represented by the Director of Internal Audit, Aliyu Waziri, said the number of entries led to an extended assessment process to ensure fairness and transparency in selecting the winners.
“Emergency management must increasingly become a culture rather than an activity undertaken only when disaster strikes,” she said.
She said the quality of the submissions demonstrated growing awareness among young Nigerians of disaster prevention, preparedness, innovation and resilience.
In the senior secondary school category, Orire Fareedah Omolola of Murphy-Tonia Schools, Lagos, won first place with her essay, “My Role in Disaster Risk Reduction.” Onminyi Olive of Faith Academy, Goshen, Abuja, placed second, while Isah Zainab Ize of Government Secondary School, Gwarinpa, Abuja, came third.
Adelanwa Emmanuel Oluwatosin of the University of Ibadan won the tertiary category with an entry on “Climate Change and Disaster Management in Nigeria.” Memunat Olawore Omobolanle of the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus, came second, while Aminu Ibrahim Bello of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, placed third.
Dabagal Marylyn Mialmoen emerged first in the NYSC Emergency Management Vanguards category with an essay titled “Technology for Disaster Response: Opportunities and Challenges.” Abiola Olamide Zion, serving in Adamawa State, came second, while Stanley Sunday Iserhienrhien placed third.
Umar congratulated the winners and finalists and urged them to promote disaster risk reduction in their schools, institutions and communities.
A media consultant to NEMA on the competition, Hakeem Bello, said the initiative was intended not only to recognise outstanding entries but also to develop young Nigerians who understand the importance of prevention, preparedness and informed action in disaster management.
NEMA awards N500,000 each to 2026 essay competition winners
