The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has announced the distribution of cash prizes to the winners of its 2026 National Essay Competition. The agency has awarded ₦500,000 each to the first-place winners, while also recognizing and rewarding the second- and third-place participants for their contributions to critical discourse on disaster management.
The first-place honors were awarded to Orire Fareedah Omolola, Adelanwa Emmanuel Oluwatosin, and Dabagal Marylyn Mialmoen. Each of these top-tier winners received ₦500,000. In addition to the primary winners, the competition also distributed prizes of ₦300,000 for second-place finishers and ₦200,000 for those securing third place.
The competition focused on essential themes regarding modern crisis management, specifically targeting disaster risk reduction, climate change, and the role of technology in disaster response. The initiative aimed to engage participants in academic exploration of how technological advancements and environmental awareness can mitigate the impacts of natural and man-made disasters.
The winners represented various regions across the country, with participants hailing from Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Katsina, and Adamawa State. By incentivizing high-level writing on these subjects, the competition highlights the importance of intellectual engagement in building national resilience against environmental and technological challenges.