A 16-year-old Medicine and Surgery student at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Akande Oyinkansola Josephine, has emerged the overall winner of the 2025 edition of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Oil and Gas Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition.

The grand finale of the highly contested academic exercise, held at the Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, saw Oyinkansola, a 200-level Medicine and Surgery student, clinch first place, taking home ?1 million prize and a brand-new laptop.

Also, Sonuga Sultan Opeyemi, a 23-year-old medical student from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, came second with N700,000 and brand-new laptop, while Aguigwe Precious Amarachi, a 19-year-old Computer Science student at the University of Uyo, came third, winning N500,000 and a new laptop.

The competition, now in its 9th year, was designed to enhance the knowledge of undergraduate students across the tertiary institutions in the oil and gas sector while also raising local content awareness.

Speaking during the event, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the competition has become one of the board’s signature initiatives, shaped around its mandate of capacity building and stakeholder engagement.

He said the competition was aimed at awakening local content consciousness among undergraduates and promoting intellectual development.

Ogbe explained that the program helps students appreciate the importance of local content in driving economic development, job creation, industrial growth, and national security.

He said: “Through this competition, we aim to strengthen communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in our undergraduates while preparing them for the modern digital economy.”

He also highlighted the Board’s progress in implementing its 10-Year Strategic Roadmap currently at 56 percent and the gains from the recently launched “Back to the Creek Initiative,” designed to support local communities and discover indigenous talents.

This year’s theme, “Sustaining Local Content Policies in the Transitioning Oil and Gas Industry,” was described as timely, aligning with ongoing national conversations around energy transition and capacity development.

The NCDMB Consultant for the Essay Competition, Mr. Eyinimi Omorozi, lauded the top ten finalists for their brilliance and discipline.

He added that the Board has consistently championed academic excellence and capacity-building through the essay competition for nearly a decade. (Daily Trust)