Lagos, Oct. 9, 2024 – Miss Iremide Ogunyemi, a student of The Ambassadors’ College, Ota, Ogun State, has won N2 million cash for emerging the star prize winner of the inaugural edition of the Fidelity Bank organized Read2Lead writing competition.
She also won a publishing deal worth N2 million and another N2 million to upgrade her school’s library.
This was disclosed at the competition’s prize presentation event held in Lagos over the weekend.
Mrs Pamela Shodipo, the Executive Director of South Directorate of Fidelity Bank Plc, who represented Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe,OON, the bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, said the initiative was created to unlock the creative potential of students and help them become better positioned for successful careers.
“All over the world, young people are driving change through innovation and Nigeria is no exception.
“As a Bank, we believe in the transformative power of education in changing the fortunes of any nation.
“It is this belief that led us to organize the Read2Lead initiative.
“By fostering the fundamental yet crucial skill of reading and writing from a young age, we aim to empower children to face academic challenges confidently and solve life problems skillfully.
“The Read2Lead initiative, therefore, encapsulates our approach to instilling a culture of reading and writing among young people.
“As highlighted by the esteemed American journalist, critic, and social reformer, Margaret Fuller, “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader”; we believe that igniting our youths’ imagination early can unlock their potential and set them on a path to success,” Onyeali-Ikpe said.
The prize presentation ceremony had in attendance the representative of the Ogun State Commissioner of Education, management staff of Fidelity Bank Plc, the top 30 students from the competition, their parents, teachers, colleagues and media personalities.
“When I started, I didn’t know I would emerge a finalist in the competition. I just decided to participate because I love writing. This was the first competition that I saw that asked for a fictional essay.
“As that is what I like, I decided to write. I want to thank Fidelity Bank for coming up with this initiative as it is a really good and creative competition,” elated Ogunyemi said.
In a surprising twist of events, Miss Mfeheke Okoko and Miss Daniella Orji, also of The Ambassadors’ College, Ota, Ogun State, took home cash prizes for N1.5million and N1 million for emerging the first and second-runners up respectively in the competition.
The competition had many students from across the country competing in three phases of writing challenges.
In the first stage of the initiative, tagged, “The National Writing Showdown”, over 3,000 students were tasked with a creative writing task for a spot among the top 150 writers.
In the second stage known as “The Sweeta Writing Mastery”, the top 150 participants were given a novel to read and requested to write an alternate ending for the book for chances to join the top 30 finalists.
In the third and final stage themed: “The Author’s Workshop”, the top 30 students were enrolled in an immersive writing boot camp anchored by experienced writers and facilitators who selected the top three finalists. (GBN)
