The outstanding young talents who excelled in the 2024 SystemSpecs Children’s Day Essay Competition (CDEC) were celebrated at a prestigious National Winners’ Award Ceremony held on June 14th 2024, in Lagos, Nigeria. For the past five years, the CDEC has catalysed promoting technological awareness nationwide.
The epic ceremony not only honoured the exceptional students but also celebrated the achievements of their schools and states, highlighting the importance of nurturing intellectual prowess and academic excellence among the next generation of leaders between the ages of 9 and 16.
Bakare Oluwasubomi of ljaiye Ojokoro Senior High School, Lagos State and Aletan Oluwajuwonlo of Apostolic Faith Secondary School, Ibadan, Oyo State emerged winners of the 2024 SystemSpecs CDEC in the senior category and junior category respectively.
The annual Children’s Day Essay Competition is a flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of SystemSpecs, demonstrating the organisation’s steadfast commitment to fostering technological advancement in Nigeria. By nurturing and developing the minds of young Nigerians, the programme aims to cultivate the next generation of innovative thinkers and technology leaders, thereby accelerating the growth of the country’s technology capacity.
According to Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, Group Chairman, SystemSpecs Holdings Limited, “We have taken the responsibility upon ourselves to provide every Nigerian child irrespective of creed, culture, or constituency an opportunity to be exposed to the amazing world of technology and its transformative power, thus setting them up on a path for success in an ever-increasing competitive world where technology continues to be a defining factor.”
With about 3,500 essay submissions recorded from various secondary schools all over Nigeria, 50 finalists were shortlisted, from which three outstanding contestants emerged in both the Senior and Junior Categories.
The senior category saw Anoje Xavier of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, FCT, emerge as the first runner-up, while Elugbaju Iseoluwa of Word Faith Group of Schools, Abuja, FCT, secured the second runner-up position. In the junior category, Olowookere Anuoluwa of Redeemer’s Academy College, Ibadan, Oyo State, took the first runner-up spot, and Gershom Somtochuhwu of Trinitate Staff School, Ikwerre, Rivers State, claimed the second runner-up position.
The overall winners for both the senior and junior categories received 1 million Naira each, the second prize winners, 750,000 Naira; and the third prize winners, 500,000 Naira, as well as brand new laptops, plaques, and a variety of other rewarding prizes.
The Managing Director of Remita Payment Services Limited (RPSL), ‘Deremi Atanda, affirmed the Children’s Day Essay Competition (CDEC) as a vital initiative dedicated to enhancing the country’s technological capabilities. He expressed his delight at the remarkable growth of the programme, which has garnered increasing interest and participation from across the nation, demonstrating its significant impact on the development of technological resources in Nigeria.
“We are committed to the long term, having been at the forefront of business for the past 32 years. We firmly believe that investing in local capacity building is crucial for the country’s global competitiveness. Our goal is to nurture a new generation of highly skilled, tech-savvy Nigerians, equipped to drive innovation and excellence, and make a meaningful impact on the global stage,” he said.
Lagos State emerged victorious as the winning state in this year’s Children’s Day Essay Competition (CDEC), boasting an impressive 19 winners in the top 50. Meanwhile, Apostolic Faith Junior Secondary School in Ibadan, Oyo State, and Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, took home the coveted winning school awards in the junior and senior categories, respectively. As a reward for their excellence, each winning school received 10 laptops, while the winning state also received 10 laptops, further empowering the next generation of leaders with cutting-edge technology.
The evaluation process for CDEC essay entries involved a three-stage process. This rigorous evaluation process ensures fairness, credibility, and excellence in identifying Nigeria’s young Tech Champions.
According to one of the judges, Prof. Lawal Babatunde, “We assessed how effectively the students elaborated on the points presented in their essays, demonstrating a clear understanding of how the provided content applies to real-life scenarios pertinent to this year’s competition theme. Additionally, we sought to evaluate their ability to synthesise their arguments and arrive at a coherent conclusion, building logically on the points previously presented in their essays.”
The SystemSpec’s Group Head of Corporate Services, Bukola Adeboye, commended the finalists on their outstanding achievements, reaffirming SystemSpecs’ dedication to cultivating future leaders for Africa through the competition and other strategic initiatives.
“The 2024 edition marks another outstanding achievement for the CDEC, as we persist in cultivating ICT capabilities in Nigeria. Our singular objective for the CDEC is to facilitate Nigeria’s advancement through the augmentation of ICT capacity nationwide. We are convinced that technological innovation can be harnessed to drive progress across all sectors of the economy. At the SystemSpecs group, we remain dedicated to promoting technological awareness among the next generation of change-makers through the CDEC initiative,” She said.
By fostering a culture of innovation and excellence, SystemSpecs aims to empower the next generation of trailblazers and change-makers, shaping the continent’s future for the better.
