Three students of Government College, Ughelli, Delta State — Ray Mukoro, Princewill Kaizee, and Egarievwe Efetobor have emerged as winners of the maiden Prince Nduka Obaigbena National Secondary Schools Essay Competition.
The competition, organised by lawyer and Arise TV news analyst, Barrister Frank Tietie, was held at the headquarters of the Citizen Advocacy and Social Economic Rights (CASER) and the Law Times Media Café in Asokoro, Abuja. It was conceived to honour Prince Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman of THISDAY/ARISE Media Group, who marked his 66th birthday on July 14.
Tietie, Executive Director of CASER and the Law Times Media Café, said the initiative aimed to celebrate Obaigbena’s enduring legacy in advancing excellence in journalism and broadcasting across Africa. He described the event as “a dream come true” and an emotional moment, recalling how Obaigbena’s publications inspired him as a secondary school student decades ago.
“This is a small but significant step in discovering young talents in writing and research,” he said. “Today, I feel fulfilled. About 36 years ago, I was just like one of those boys when I first heard about Obaigbena. He inspired my love for journalism even though I later became a lawyer.”
Tietie also acknowledged his classmates from Government College Ughelli—Mike, Efe, Charlie, Edjere, Ahanmisi, and Mukoro who supported the event’s organisation.
Announcing the results, Professor Abiodun Adeniyi of Baze University, Abuja, noted that 12 outstanding essays made the final shortlist. The entries were assessed based on originality, clarity, depth, and relevance to the theme.
The winners are:
1st Place: Ray Mukoro (70%)
2nd Place: Princewill Kaizee (68%)
3rd Place: Egarievwe Efetobor (67%)
Adeniyi described the winning students as “the brightest hopes of Nigeria’s education system” and praised Tietie for initiating a platform that encourages academic excellence and honours national icons.
Speaking on the competition’s theme, “The Quest for Truth and Integrity in Broadcasting in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI),” Prof. Sam Amadi of the Abuja School of Political Thought noted the growing influence of AI in media and the need for institutional mechanisms to regulate it responsibly.
He commended the initiative for honouring Nduka Obaigbena, whom he described as a pioneer in transforming the Nigerian media landscape through THISDAY and Arise TV.
The competition stand as both a tribute to Obaigbena’s impact and a call for Nigerian youth to embrace truth, integrity, and creativity in media.
