The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) at the weekend rounded off its 2018 NSE Essay Competition with the presentation of shares, cash and computers to winners and their schools.
Miss Deborah Lawrence of Good Shepherd School, Ajegunle Village, Atan-Ota, Ogun State, emerged the overall winner. Lawrence clinched the first position ahead of over 20,150 participants across the country, winning N500,000 scholarship for her university education, N250,000 equity investment and a laptop. Her school was also rewarded with a trophy, three desktop computers and a printer.
Miss Ashiru Oluwalanaayo of Corona Secondary School, Agbara, Ogun State and Master Dominic Charles of GEC Comprehensive College, Ipaja, Lagos State, emerged first and second runners up respectively. Each of them also got a laptop, equity investment and scholarships for their university education. Their schools also got varying number of computers and trophies. Seven other laptops were given as consolation prizes to seven winners.
Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr Oscar Onyema, said the main goal of the the NSE Essay Competition, which is now in its 18th year, is to build a financially savvy generation by imbuing a culture of wealth creation among the youths.
According to him, the competition serves as a platform that gives the Exchange the ability to view the perspectives of future leaders on key challenges relating to financial literacy, while providing opportunity to feel the pulse of the spread of financial inclusion in Nigeria.
Onyema, who was represented by Head of Shared Services at the NSE, Bola Adeeko, said the youth segment is often recognised as a priority target for financial education because the philosophy of catching them young remains a wise one.
He, however, pointed out that financial literacy holds great value for all segments of the population and should not be limited to a certain age group as the benefits of a financially literate society are universal and its positive impact can be felt in the promotion of better livelihoods, economic growth, financial systems, and poverty reduction.
“There is the need to build a platform that will help awaken the interest of our youths and buoy up students to learn and appreciate economic concepts, particularly as it concerns financial literacy and the significance of the capital market to the economy,” Onyema said.
He noted that this year’s competition topic asked students to discuss “how technology can promote financial literacy and encourage investment habit among youths” as a way of getting future leaders to think about how to adopt technology as a veritable tool for building a financially savvy generation.
In her keynote address, wife of Ogun State governor, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, who was represented by Mrs. Yemisi Durojaiye, commended the NSE for the initiative, which sought to bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical knowledge required for long-term personal financial responsibility for societal development.
“It is also heart-warming to note that over 40,000 young people in more than 8,000 secondary schools across Nigeria have benefited from this completion,” Amosun said.