The Abia State chapter of the Labour Party has launched a statewide essay competition for secondary and tertiary institution students, with a total prize pool of N2.8 million.
The competition is aimed at promoting critical thinking and encouraging greater youth participation in governance and public policy.
The competition, unveiled on Thursday at the party’s secretariat in Umuahia, is designed to encourage young people to contribute ideas on governance while stimulating intellectual engagement on the development of the state.
Speaking at the launch, the state Secretary of the Labour Party, Chuks Akamadu, described the initiative as the first of its kind by the party in Abia, adding that it reflects the party’s commitment to civic education, democratic values and responsible political participation.
According to him, the essay competition, titled “The New Abia and Need for Consolidation,” seeks to harvest the perspectives of young Abians on the achievements of the administration of Governor Alex Otti and explore ways to sustain the state’s development.
He said, “The competition aligns with the Labour Party’s commitment to promoting equal opportunity, social justice, civic education and responsible political participation.
“The exercise seeks to stimulate intellectual engagement among young Abians while generating practical ideas and policy recommendations that could contribute to governance and development.
“We are doing this because the Labour Party is a political party that is alive to its responsibilities in a democratic society. We are committed to educating citizens, promoting democratic values and encouraging greater youth participation in the political process.”
Akamadu said the competition has two categories. He explained that in the secondary school category, the winner would receive N500,000, while the second and third prize winners would get N300,000 and N250,000 respectively.
He added that the winner in the tertiary institution category would receive N1 million, while the second and third positions would earn N500,000 and N250,000 respectively.
The party secretary disclosed that consolation prizes would also be presented to other outstanding participants, while schools attended by the prize winners would receive special recognition.
He said entries, which must not exceed 1,500 words, should be submitted electronically to the party’s official email address on or before July 17, while winners would be honoured at an award ceremony scheduled for August 3.
Akamadu commended Governor Alex Otti for what he described as the administration’s achievements over the past three years, saying the progress recorded by the government inspired the initiative.
“The future of Abia belongs to our young people. Through this competition, we are giving them a voice to contribute to the political and developmental conversation shaping our state,” he said.