{"id":79384,"date":"2025-11-27T10:50:43","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T10:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/?p=79384"},"modified":"2025-11-27T10:50:43","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T10:50:43","slug":"firs-to-national-essay-finalists-building-nigeria-begins-with-the-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/2025\/11\/27\/firs-to-national-essay-finalists-building-nigeria-begins-with-the-mind\/","title":{"rendered":"FIRS to National Essay Finalists: \u2018Building Nigeria Begins with the Mind\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2026Nigeria Must Prepare, Not Complain -Engr Oluwagbemi<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u2026100,000 Entries Show Youth Readiness to Build Nigeria<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u2026Competition Celebrates Excellence, National Hope<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Samson Adeyanju<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has told finalists of the 2025 3rd Edition, National Essay Competition, powered by the Abuja City Journal (ACJ), that the task of rebuilding Nigeria must begin \u201cwith the mind,\u201d urging them to embrace critical thinking, innovation, and patriotic responsibility as foundations for national progress.<\/p>\n

At the grand finale held in Abuja on Tuesday, a representative of the FIRS Executive Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, said the agency was proud to partner with a programme that \u201cshapes the intellectual and leadership consciousness of the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

He described the competition as more than a literary contest, emphasizing that it serves as \u201ca platform for inspiring responsible citizenship, encouraging national dialogue, and cultivating a new class of future leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLeadership begins with the mind. A progressive nation is first imagined before it is built. The quality of thoughts you cultivate today will determine the quality of leadership you offer Nigeria tomorrow,\u201d the FIRS representative said.<\/p>\n

He added that FIRS\u2019 support reflects its commitment to human capital development, noting that taxation and national development depend heavily on informed citizens who understand their role in building a functional society.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

…Nigeria Must Prepare, Not Complain -Engr Oluwagbemi<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Delivering the keynote address, renowned engineer and development expert, Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi, FNSE, challenged the young finalists to adopt a mindset of responsibility rather than complaint.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the theme, \u201cBuilding a Nigeria that Responds to the Challenges of Our Generation,\u201d he argued that every generation must confront and solve its own problems.<\/p>\n

According to him, Nigeria is grappling with multiple transitions, from technological disruption to economic uncertainty and climate challenges that demand visionary planning and a prepared youth population.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must build a Nigeria that anticipates challenges rather than reacts to them. Nations do not grow by lamentation but by preparation, innovation, and a clear sense of purpose,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on his own journey from a student competitor to an engineer managing over $200 million in investments across Africa, Oluwagbemi reminded the finalists that small beginnings often lead to great transformations.<\/p>\n

He identified three critical pillars Nigeria must embrace to secure its future:<\/p>\n

1. Long-term, strategic national planning<\/p>\n

2. A technology-driven economy anchored on innovation<\/p>\n

3. High-quality human capital reinforced by strong values<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new Nigeria will not be built by age or titles, but by competence and discipline. Your minds, your ideas, and your integrity are the most important tools you have,\u201d he told the students.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

…100,000 Entries Show Youth Readiness to Build Nigeria<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Convener of the competition and Publisher of Abuja City Journal, Mr. Foluso Sylvanus Ojo, said the 2025 edition marked a historic milestone with over 100,000 essay submissions from across the country.<\/p>\n

Describing the turnout as \u201ca national awakening among young intellectuals,\u201d he said the volume and quality of entries proved that Nigerian youth are ready to contribute meaningfully to national development.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be among 26 finalists out of more than 100,000 entrants already makes every one of you a champion,\u201d he said, praising the dedication of the participants.<\/p>\n

Ojo noted that the top prize for the finalists was increased from \u20a63 million to \u20a65 million, describing it as a deliberate investment in knowledge and academic excellence.<\/p>\n

He thanked FIRS, Kapek International, the panel of judges, sponsors, and the organising team for sustaining a competition he described as \u201ca beacon of intellectual empowerment.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

…Competition Celebrates Excellence, National Hope<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

One of the major highlights of the event was the finalists\u2019 recognition tour, which included special engagements with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, top officials of the National Assembly, the leadership of FIRS, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, and a visit to key national institutions.<\/p>\n

Speakers at the event commended Abuja City Journal for creating a platform that nurtures national consciousness and meaningful dialogue among young Nigerians.<\/p>\n

The FIRS representative reminded the finalists that beyond prize money, the competition is designed to shape how young citizens think about governance, policy, accountability, and the future of the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cNigeria needs thinkers, innovators, creators, and leaders. This competition is a seed of national rebirth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Participants, parents, and invited guests applauded the initiative as one of the most impactful youth development programmes in the country, with many calling for its expansion to accommodate more young Nigerians.<\/p>\n

As the curtains fell on this year\u2019s edition, the finalists were urged to continue writing, reading widely, participating in civic discourse, and preparing themselves for leadership roles.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour ideas matter. Your voice matters. Nigeria is waiting for your generation,\u201d Oluwagbemi concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2026Nigeria Must Prepare, Not Complain -Engr Oluwagbemi \u2026100,000 Entries Show Youth Readiness to Build Nigeria \u2026Competition Celebrates Excellence, National Hope   By Samson Adeyanju The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has told finalists of the 2025 3rd Edition, National Essay Competition, powered by the Abuja City Journal (ACJ), that the task of rebuilding Nigeria must […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":79387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[177,183,172],"tags":[59],"class_list":["post-79384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abuja-reports","category-education","category-news","tag-featured"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79384"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79388,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79384\/revisions\/79388"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}