15-year-old Davina Phillips from Bloombreeds School, Port Harcourt, has won the 2025 Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition—earning ₦1 million and a laptop—while the contest, aimed at promoting literacy and critical thinking among Nigerian students, also highlighted concerns over AI misuse and celebrated its broader educational impact.
A 15-year-old student from Bloombreeds School in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Davina Phillips has emerged as the overall winner of the 2025 Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition. Caroline’s outstanding performance in the final round, where she scored 75%, earned her a top prize of ₦1 million and a brand-new laptop.
The runner-up is 16‑year‑old Aniki Emmanuella Onizi, representing Babcock High School, Ilishan‑Remo, Ogun State. She scored 68% and will receive ₦500,000 plus a laptop. In third place is 15‑year‑old Maryam Opeyemi Ilyas from Isawo Comprehensive High School, Ikorodu, Lagos State, who scored 66% and will take home ₦400,000 and a laptop.
Each winner’s school will be rewarded with a set of computers, and other finalists will receive ₦50,000 each as consolation prizes.
The awards will be presented during the Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture Series—an event that commemorates the birthday anniversary of Bishop Mike Okonkwo, the competition’s founder and sponsor. This year’s lecture is scheduled to take place in Lagos on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
Established in 2004 by Dr. Mike Okonkwo—Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM)—the essay competition aims to foster a reading and writing culture among Nigerian secondary school students.
Speaking about the results, Chief Examiner and English Professor Akachi Ezeigbo shared that only five essays progressed to the final stage, where contestants were given a fresh topic to write under supervised, exam-like conditions. She expressed concern over plagiarism and the use of artificial intelligence in some essays, noting that telltale marks—including uncredited text and AI-generated phrases—were evident in several submissions.
Professor Ezeigbo praised the finalists for leveraging online resources and AI in constructive ways, but she urged teachers to guide students on proper citation and ethical usage of such tools.
Reverend Tony Samuel, also commenting on the competition, lauded its long-term impact on education in Nigeria. He emphasized how the contest has cultivated students’ interest in research, critical thinking, expressive writing, and tackling national socio-economic issues.
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