The judges of the Atiku Abubakar #EducationSolutions essay competition are pleased to announce the completion of the first round of judging, as well as the schedule for the announcement of the results.
A 10-person long-list will be announced on Monday October 21, 2013
The winner, and runner-up will be announced on Monday October 28, 2013.
Excerpts from the long-listed essays will appear on the Scholarship Blog - https://atiku.org/aa/scholarships/ - from Monday Oct 21, 2013
Commenting on the competition, and the judging process, the chair of the panel of Judges, Dr. Hauwa Imam, Associate Professor of Education and Director of the Centre for Gender Security & Youth Advancement at the University of Abuja, said:
“The entries for the essay competition came from Nigerian youths in universities spread across the six geopolitical zones of the country, as well as from students in foreign universities. The judges are a team of outstanding and highly credible university dons with specialisation in Education and English Language. A pre-assessment meeting/workshop was held on the technicalities of selecting the winning essay before the judges commenced work.
“Absolute confidentiality is being maintained in the entire selection process – the judges have no clue who the candidates are because the scripts were assigned numbers only. The essays have been screened based on the subject matter of the competition, language of expression, organisation and mechanical accuracy.
“The teeming candidates who participated in this competition have the assurance of Alhaji Abubakar’s sincere support for educational development, and empathy for the youths of Nigeria. His penchant for quality education and education for all is not in doubt as attested to by the world-class university he has set up in his home state Adamawa, and the many youths on his scholarship schemes. Education cannot be left in the hands of government alone and Nigerians need people with a high sense of social responsibility. This scholarship scheme is indeed worthy of emulation.”
The essay competition was launched in August 2013 to provide an opportunity to undergraduate and postgraduate Nigerian students to contribute innovative ideas and solutions towards solving any of Nigeria’s many educational challenges.
Entrants were asked to write an essay of between 2,000 and 5,000 words on the topic More Learning to More People: How can Nigeria be more innovative in bridging its literacy and skills gap?
Submission of entries closed on August 31, 2013, with more than six hundred entries making it into the judging round.
“I’m delighted to see the enthusiasm with which young Nigerians have responded to the essay competition,” says Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, sponsor of the contest. “For me it demonstrates how passionate Nigeria’s young people are about contributing solutions to their most pressing problems.”
So ours weren’t read? We who are not in any university yet but seeking? That would be unfair
I continue to be impressed and excited by the posts I receive. On behalf on Nigerians,I say a big thank you. The hand that gives they say never lacks. Am also quite thrilled by the process of winner selection and the caliber of people who co-ordinate the process,their academic brilliance and background leaves one in no doubt that they’ll be thorough and just..
Yay!! Am totally thrilled,we need more philantropists and statesmen of Alhaji Atiku’s calibre.
Welldone Turaki,doing like very established government.What remains is competition on poverty reduction,as we are suffering Turaki.
today is Monday i cant still see any list being published…………..still waiting thumbs up to the judging team
He is trying for helping people in this country and outside the country,May God Bless Us Ameen.
This is a very good achievement coming from a public figure like Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. We need more sacrifices, from public figures such as Dangote, Bola Ahmed Tinumbu,etc to contribute to the development of the youth of Nigeria. Thank you TURAKIN ADAMAWA.
WELL DONE TURAKI!!!!
this is really good and welcoming,in Negeria have many prominent people like Alh. Atiku Abubakar, if they will emulate him, the educational problem we are facing will be solved.
Sir, thanks for your patriotism and sense of human feeling. May ALLAH continue to be with you and se you too through in your aspirations amin. Please when is the next edition of the scholarship competition coming up?
Good day sir. I must say that I am very disappointed. I did apply for your scholarship as I already had admission to study an MBA at a well-known school abroad. I’ve only just decided to reply because I felt it needed to be put on record. While I understand and totally abide by ‘the judges decision is final’ I must say that the process left a lot to be desired. One, there was no acknowledgement, electronic or otherwise, when the essay was sent in. How do I know that you received my essay? Two, I observed the age ranges of those who won and wonder whether there was an age barrier or rule that I wasn’t aware of. Yes, I am over 30. Three, I am not a student. I am in full-time employment but with an ambition to further improve myself through education. Does this disqualify me? Lastly, and I say this with no conceit or overconfidence whatsoever, I read the essay of the third runner-up and I wasn’t impressed. This makes me wonder whether the judging panel did in fact receive my essay. I’ve already had to pass on the admission I had, but my suggestion would be that the requirements and rules for the next round of scholarship(s) you offer should be clearly stated and an auto-response system put in place so we can be assured that the final selection is indeed free and fair. Thank you.