By Ade Iyamoye 

Winners of the 2025 Abuja City Journal National Essay Competition were celebrated on Tuesday at the grand finale in Abuja, with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), stakeholders, and the convener of the competition lauding their exceptional performance.

The event, themed on governance, leadership, and national rebirth, attracted hundreds of entries from across Nigeria.

Out of these, 26 finalists were shortlisted for demonstrating originality, clarity, research depth, and critical thinking.

Though the Executive Chairman of FIRS could not attend due to prior national engagements, he was represented by the Coordinating Director, Dr. Mohammed Adaya Salisu, who delivered the keynote address on his behalf.

Dr Salisu commended the initiative for nurturing Nigeria’s next generation of thinkers, innovators, and leaders.

“The future of Nigeria is bright because young Nigerians are thinking, imagining, questioning, and proposing solutions,” he said.

Speaking in his capacity as the Guest Speaker at the event, the President of LoftyInc Group, Engr. Oluwagbemi Michael, drawing from his own journey as a former essay competition participant, recounted how an idea he presented 16 years ago at a World Bank-organised competition in Stockholm evolved into the LoftyInc Group, which today has facilitated over $200 million in investments and created more than 100 direct jobs across four continents.

He urged the finalists to recognise the power of their ideas, warning that “anything whose purpose is not understood is at risk of being abused.”

His address, centred on the theme “Building a Nigeria that Responds to the Challenges of Our Generation,” examined Nigeria’s abundant natural resources, demographic strength, and strategic global position.

Engr Michael highlighted Nigeria’s historic responsibility to the global Black race, stressing that “without Nigeria, Africa goes nowhere.”

He also outlined the country’s diverse challenges from climate vulnerability and energy poverty to misinformation, insecurity, and digital disruption, but maintained that these challenges signify a great destiny for the nation.

“The fiercer the challenge, the greater the destiny of the people who face it,” he told the students, urging them to see themselves as a generation equipped to solve Nigeria’s most pressing problems.

He traced the struggles of past generations, from the independence fighters to the civil war era and the military dictatorship years, reminding the finalists that each generation confronted its own battles and moved the nation forward.

He charged them to rise to the responsibilities of their time.

On his part, Foluso Sylvanus Ojo, the Publisher of Abuja City Journal (ACJ), and Convener of the National Essay Competition congratulated the finalists and highlighted the competition’s growth.

Ojo praised the role of mentors, teachers, and partners such as Kapek International in supporting the program.

While all initial winners were male, a friend of his, Engr. Michael intervened to award the best female finalist ₦1 million, bringing the total prize money to ₦11 million.

The overall winner expressed gratitude for the platform, noting the value of interacting with peers from diverse backgrounds.

Other finalists also acknowledged the mentorship and exposure gained through the competition.

The FIRS reaffirmed its support for the competition as an investment in human capital, emphasizing that building a prosperous nation requires enlightened citizens.

Organizers and stakeholders called on the finalists to continue thinking critically, innovating, and contributing to national development beyond the competition.

The event in pictures: