Press For Unveiling Africa!!

Hello All,

We continue to roll out the essay contest in Nigeria and have receive amazing support throughout the process! Check out this wonderful article by the Punch newspaper, on Unveiling Africa and the essay contest!

Nigeria at 50: Dreams and dreamers

As Nigeria reaches her 50th year as a country, a frenzy of activities is expected to take place to celebrate a landmark year. Not much is happening officially but Nigerians are putting their heads together to ensure that the anniversary is worth it.

A Canadian organisation, Unveiling Africa Foundation, as part of its expansion strategy, is organising two essay contests targeting secondary school students in Lagos and surrounding areas.

In Nigeria, the organisation is focusing on supplementing youth education by promoting critical thinking and community activism amongst Nigeria’s secondary school students.

The essay contest is scheduled for launch on Children’s Day, May 27, 2010. Junior Secondary School students will be writing on Nigeria at 50, Nigeria of my dreams, while senior secondary school students will be examining the topic, What is the role of secondary school students in Nigeria’s development?

UVA is founded by Nigerian-born youth activist, Chizoba Imoka, and according to her, the foundation is already perfecting plans to mark the official launch of Unveiling Africa Foundation, Nigeria with a teenager’s nation-building symposium on The role of Nigeria’s secondary school students in Nigeria’s development. The launch will coincide with Nigeria’s golden Independence anniversary on October 1, 2010.

“Unveiling Africa will be hosting 50 public and private schools across Lagos. The purpose of this event is to spur critical thinking amongst secondary school students in Nigeria about social issues in the country, as well as providing tools for enabling positive development and change within the community. I also hope that the symposium will build relationships and mentorship networks amongst secondary school students and role model Nigerians,” she says.

“Amongst other things, it is our belief that the implementation of these initiatives will be the beginning of the birth of a generation of critical thinkers, problem solvers, community activists and fearless leaders in our society. Ensuring a bright future for Nigeria is paramount and requires an early induction into critical thinking and community activism amongst its citizens.”

Imoka is confident that the two events are critical steps to laying the much-needed foundation for Nigeria’s future.

According to her, “It is our belief that Nigeria’s bright future is guaranteed in the hands of the upcoming generation which are the Nigerian children,” she enthuses, adding, “To enable this generation deliver a bright future for Nigeria, we strongly believe that there is a need for the Nigerian child to be inducted into a culture of critical thinking, community activism and problem solving in their developmental years. Teenagers are defined as individuals between the age of 9 – 18 years or students in JSS1 – SSS3.”

Prizes for the contest include: N75,000 – N150,000 Scholarship, Dinner with the Future Awards Alumni Network, and Mentorship Opportunities.