UCJ extends deadline for N450,000 Soyombo inter-varsity essay contest

The Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ), University of Ibadan, has announced an extension in the deadline for submission of entries for the fourth edition of its annual Inter-University Essay Contest.

The contest, endowed by ‘Fisayo Soyombo, a former President of the organisation, requires applicants to answer, in no more than 1,000 words, the question: “The Dire Need For Genuine National Development: Is Revolution A Solution?”

Launched in 2015, this year’s edition comes with the highest prizes ever, as three winners will go away with a total sum of N450,00.

The first prize is N200,000 plus an internship placement in a newspaper, second prize N150,000, and third prize N100,000.

The deadline for application was originally set for October 31, but it has now been moved to November 30, 2019.

Entries, font size 12, 1.5 spacing and font type Times New Roman, are to be submitted in PDF format to [email protected], along with the applicant’s short bio and scanned student identity card.

The word limit is 1,200.

“This fourth edition is the largest installment of this essay contest and it seeks to engage university students across the federation on the pertinent matter of nation-building,” said Martins Isaac, President of UCJ, UI.

“The UCJ, UI, is proud to be spearheading this process of getting university undergraduates nationwide to inculcate the habit of thinking deeply and proffering solutions, rather than just whining and complaining, to the country’s problems.”

Incidentally, an inter-university contest for UCJ was first launched in 2007 by the executive council presided over by Soyombo.

In the seven years that followed, the contest held only once, until Soyombo resuscitated it in 2015.

“It’s an honour to be the one to revive this contest and take it on as an annual pet project,” Soyombo said.

“Back in 2007, with the help of the likes of Obianuju Okafor and Chinyere Chimodo-Okeh, we ran a contest that gave out a total prize money of N340,000 — N100,000 for the first-prize winner, N80,000 for the second, N60,000 for the third, and N20,000 each for five other finalists.

“I am finally happy that, for the first time, we’ve now reached a point where we’re surpassing the 2007 total prize money.”

Simult Omoya (2015), Kunle Adebajo (2016) and Kanyinsola Olorunisola (2017) are the winners of the previous editions of the contest.