Two innovation-driven companies; Etisalat Nigeria and DigitalSENSE Africa Media, Friday in Lagos presented prizes to the winners of the 2015 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Essay Competition.

The essay competition which focused this year was on Net Neutrality and Nigerian Internet Users was non-restrictive, non-discriminatory, and designed for Nigerian students between the ages of 18 and 30.

The Head, Environmental Compliance and Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Seyi Osunsede, in her keynote, said that Etisalat naturally aligns with DigitalSENSE Africa Media because of her innovations and creativity, emphasising that innovation changes the word.

Representing the Vice President, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Dikko, Seyi said the essay competition is another way of encouraging innovation by the Etisalat in partnership with DigitalSENSE.

The Etisalat-DigitalSENSE Students Essay Competition, was organized by the DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) Media in partnership with Etisalat Nigeria, the essay competition was conceptualised in 2012 to encourage young men and women to make research on issues of the Internet and come up with innovative ideas to move the industry forward.

The Executive Director, Operations, DSA, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, said the essay competition is part of this year’s annual Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum (NDSF) on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) which has the theme ‘Net Neutrality and Nigerian Internet Users’, adding that it was designed to motivate the youth to explore opportunities on the internet as there are limitless positive benefits therein.

The Group Executive Editor (GEE) and Lead Strategist, DSA, Mr. Remmy Nweke, said the company would continue to partner with Etisalat, being an innovative company. He underscored the fact that the criteriafor assessment was based on understanding of the topic which is Internet Governance for Development and the topic for the year.

This, he said should be anchored on the Nigerian environment, stressing that overall presentation is equally key to the general assessment, adding that the essay must be limited to 600 words, emphasising that for now the essay is meant for Nigerian undergraduates even though secondary school students were not disenfranchised as long as they are up to 18 of age.

The GEE stated that apart from the award the Star Prize winner had the opportunity of attending the Nigeria Internet Governance Forum (NIGF) where he participated as Etisalat-DigitalSENSE Student Ambassador.

One of the judges for the essay competition, Yetunde Johnson, Managing Director, Slingshot Technologies, said the importance of the competition cannot be overemphasised as the children will be decision makers tomorrow, hence the need to know the fundamentals of the subject matter through competitions like DSA’s essay.

The Star Prize winner of the 2015 Etisalat-DigitalSENSE Students Essay Competition is a 100 Level Electronic Engineering student of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Mr. Nicodemus Chidera Onah, who went home with a laptop; the second prize also went to another UNN student studying English and Literature, Mr. Kizito Chijioke Onah who won a Tablet, while the third prize went to Blessing Oghenetijiri Ekpobadarho, a 400 Level student of Niger Delta University in Bayelsa State who was unavoidably absent due to logistics problems.

Her prize, a high grade smart phone will be presented to her next week Thursday in Lagos.

Receiving the award, Kizito thanked Etisalat and DigitalSENSE for their innovation and said he is happy with what he won. He also said that by 13th of next month he will be going to Abuja for an NCC organised essay competition as a finalist.

While the Star Prize winner Nicodemus expressed excitement over the prize and pledged to remain good student as Etisalat-DigitalSENSE Student Ambassador.

•Photo shows Nicodemus Onah.

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