By Suleiman Aremu | Solaremnews | Friday, October 23, 2026
A 200-level Physiotherapy student of the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Mr. Wisdom David Fabunmi, has emerged overall winner of the 10th edition of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition 2026, winning N1 million, a brand-new laptop and a plaque.
Fabunmi emerged winner among about 5,000 entries submitted by undergraduates from 52 universities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, at the grand finale and prize-giving ceremony held on Thursday at the NCDMB Conference Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The competition, which focused on “Promoting Manufacturing for Sustainable Local Content Development,” was organised to encourage research, critical thinking, effective communication and intellectual engagement among undergraduates while promoting awareness of Nigerian Content and its contribution to national economic development.
The first runner-up, Ms. Joy Oghogho Enogieru, a 100-level Doctor of Optometry student of the University of Benin, received N700,000, a laptop and a plaque, while the second runner-up, Mr. Ahmadu Kodan Yusuf, a 100-level Law student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, won N500,000, a laptop and a plaque.
The Board also awarded consolation prizes to contestants who placed between fourth and ninth positions.
Representing the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, at the ceremony, the General Manager of the Corporate Communications Division, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, said the competition was important to the Board because it supported its mandate to develop human and material capacity and monitor compliance with Nigerian Content requirements in the oil and gas industry.
Ezeobi explained that the Board fulfilled its human capacity development responsibilities through various interventions, including direct intervention training programmes for graduates and artisans in technical and non-technical skills, as well as project-based human capital development initiatives.
He said the project-based programmes provided on-the-job training on active projects, in line with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010.
According to him, universities remain critical institutions for developing ideas, examining societal problems, encouraging innovation and generating solutions that can advance national development.
He said the NCDMB introduced the annual essay competition to engage students and encourage them to think critically and write about Nigerian Content, stressing that the ideas, commitment and ingenuity of young Nigerians were crucial to the future of local content development.
Ezeobi added that the essay competition complemented several other NCDMB initiatives designed to strengthen research, innovation and technical skills among young people in tertiary institutions.
These include Research Centres of Excellence established at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Federal University of Technology, Minna; Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State; University of Port Harcourt, Choba; University of Ibadan, Ibadan; and Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola.
He also highlighted the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad (NEO), an initiative aimed at inspiring innovation among engineering students, noting that its maiden edition was concluded in July 2026.
Other programmes include the Nigerian Oil and Gas Readiness Training, through which 10,000 young Nigerians are being trained in 10 key skills required for emerging oil and gas projects.
The Board also operates the Catch-the-Researcher-Young Programme (CRYP), a digital research capacity development initiative designed to equip undergraduate students with modern technology skills, advanced research methods and industry-relevant digital competencies.
Speaking on the theme of the 2026 competition, Ezeobi said the focus on manufacturing was intended to challenge students to examine how Nigeria could strengthen its productive capacity and generate greater economic value from local resources and industrial activities.
He described manufacturing as the bedrock of sustainable local content development, explaining that the NCDMB established the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme (NOGaPS) to promote the manufacturing of components required by the oil and gas industry.
He further identified the Nigerian Content Equipment Commitment (NCEC) as another policy instrument through which the Board encourages local manufacturing and builds industrial capacity.
According to him, the policy requires companies to demonstrate evidence of their manufacturing capabilities and capacity to execute key activities before they can access contract opportunities in the oil and gas industry.
Earlier, the programme consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Mahogany 21st Century Concepts Limited, Mr. Eyinimi Omorozi, described the award ceremony as a celebration of a decade of investment in ideas by the NCDMB.
Omorozi expressed satisfaction with the quality of entries received from participants, saying their essays demonstrated the potential of young Nigerians to contribute meaningfully to the country’s development.
He noted that the Board’s responsibilities extended beyond the provision of facilities and monitoring compliance, adding that it was also investing in the intellectual development of young people.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the occasion and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Otuoke, Professor Promise Mebine, congratulated the NCDMB on sustaining the competition and remaining committed to its vision.
Mebine said the development of Nigerian Content was not limited to pipelines, platforms and other physical infrastructure but also involved investing in people, particularly young Nigerians who would lead the country in the future.
He congratulated the winners, describing their achievements as well-deserved, while encouraging them to take advantage of the opportunities created by the competition to advance their academic and professional pursuits.
He also urged other participants not to consider themselves losers, encouraging them to continue researching, writing and believing in Nigeria’s potential for development.
In a goodwill message, the Director of the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, Mr. Esueme Dan Kikile, Esq., commended the Executive Secretary, the Corporate Communications Division and the programme consultant for their efforts in sustaining the competition.
He said the initiative had continued to benefit both the Board and participating students by promoting intellectual development and strengthening engagement with Nigerian Content issues.
The 10th edition of the competition further underscored the NCDMB’s commitment to engaging young Nigerians in discussions on local content, industrial development and the need to strengthen domestic manufacturing as part of efforts to build a more resilient economy.
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