The National Essay Competition 2025 has officially opened applications for senior secondary school students across Nigeria, giving young learners a chance to express their ideas on how climate challenges can be turned into opportunities for sustainable development. The competition, organized by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Nigeria in partnership with The Sterling Team, aims to nurture a generation of young thinkers passionate about environmental sustainability and innovation.
This initiative provides a platform for students to think critically, write persuasively, and share creative ideas that can inspire both local and national change. The competition’s theme, “Turning Climate Challenges in My Community into Opportunities for Growth,” encourages participants to explore real environmental issues and propose solutions that can drive green growth and community development.
The essay competition targets Nigerian students currently in SS1 to SS3 who are enrolled in public or government-owned secondary schools. Each school is allowed to submit only one entry per student. Organizers emphasized that all submissions must include accurate contact details of the student’s teacher or principal for verification.
Entries will be evaluated based on originality, creativity, clarity, and alignment with the theme. To maintain transparency, applicants must also submit a two to three-minute video presentation of their essay. “Entries proven to be AI-generated or plagiarized will be disqualified,” the organizers stated.
The competition is open to students across Nigeria only, and winners will be announced during the National Sustainability Week 2025. Three national winners will receive cash prizes amounting to ₦1,000,000, with ₦500,000 for the first prize, ₦300,000 for the second prize, and ₦200,000 for the third. Additional benefits include national recognition, media visibility, and mentorship opportunities with sustainability experts.
Students are required to write a typed, original essay of not more than 1,000 words on the given topic, record a short vertical video summarizing their essay, and complete the official submission form available online. The deadline for submission is November 14, 2025, at 11:59 PM WAT.
Interested participants can apply through the official National Essay Competition 2025 Form hosted by UN SDSN Youth Nigeria.
