Miss Elizabeth Ezekiel, a second year Medical student of the Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Edo State, has emerged the winner of the Essay Competition organised by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to commemorate the 2017 World Maritime Day Celebration.

Miss Ezekiel’s essay was adjudged the best out of 180 entries by an independent panel of judges on the topic “Connecting Ships, Ports and People” which is the theme for the 2017 WMD celebration.

She was presented with a N500,000.00 Education Grant, a laptop computer and a plaque by the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, in Lagos during the celebration of the World Maritime Day recently.

She was followed by David Adetula, a 200 level student of Dentistry and Dental Surgery of the University of Ibadan who came second and was presented with an Education Grant of N350,000.00, a laptop computer and a plaque by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Ahmed Rufai Sani.

The second runner up was Habeebullah Asudemade, a first year law student of the University of Ibadan who went home with an Education Grant of N250,000.00, a laptop computer and a plaque presented to him by Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration.

Seven other students were also presented with consolation prizes of N100,000.00 Education Grant each by the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside.

They are Ogochukwu Jesse, a student of Combined Arts University of Nigeria Nsukka, Angela Eze of Agricultural Extension, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Sarah Iortsor studying Chemistry in Benue State University Makurdi and Michael Adekanbi who of the Insurance department, University of Lagos.

Others are Laurene Ekwugha studying Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Rukaiya Labaran of Physics Education department, University of Jos and Adekolajo Fasiku of the History Department, University of Ibadan.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the DG of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, called on the winners to remain dedicated to their studies adding that “this reward is just one of NIMASA’s contributions to the development of human capital in Nigeria.”

He expressed the hope that the Education Grant given to the winners will contribute in supporting their scholarly activities and challenged them to be prepared to contribute their quota to the development of the country upon graduation.

The essay competition which was open to only first and second year students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria drew entries from all over the country.

The exercise is part of the Agency’s commitment to get youths involved in the Nigerian project in general and the intellectual discourse on harnessing the potentials of the maritime industry in particular.

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