Education
NSE Deepens Financial Literacy with 2017 Essay Competition
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has announced commencement of the 2017 NSE Essay Competition with call for entries from students in senior secondary schools in Nigeria.
A statement issued by the local bourse on Monday said the theme of this year’s edition is ‘Investor education is critical to retail investor participation in the capital market. Discuss.’
The NSE Essay Competition is one of stock market regulator’s financial literacy and inclusion initiatives aimed at bridging the gap in classroom learning with practical knowledge required for long-term personal financial planning.
The competition’s overall goal is to develop a culture of wealth creation amongst youth towards ‘Building a Financially Savvy Generation.’
According to Ms Pai Gamde, Acting Head, Corporate Services Division at the NSE, this year’s topic has been selected to highlight the importance of the capital market in the efforts to improve national financial literacy.
“The NSE Essay Competition feeds into the Capital Market Literacy Master Plan; a 10-year Capital Market Master Plan currently being implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission to increase the proportion of capital market literacy levels from 16% to 40% by 2025,” she said.
“It is important that students and youth understand the significance of the capital market in the Nigerian economy and participate in programmes and initiatives in relation to this sector which will enable them to shape their own lives and make a difference in their communities.
“I therefore urge parents and teachers to encourage students to participate in the NSE Essay Competition,” Ms Gamde added.
Mr Olumide Orojimi, Head of Corporate Communications at the NSE, said the NSE Essay Competition continues to be a force to be reckoned with nationwide, “the success of the competition over the years continues to be encouraging and has motivated The Exchange to sustain the initiative. Since year 2000, the competition has inspired over 37,000 young people from numerous higher institutions and over 7,000 secondary schools across Nigeria to showcase their knowledge of the financial and capital markets. It provides an opportunity for youths to contribute towards the discussions around the capital market and the Nigerian economy.”
“The competition rewards the 10 winners out of which the top three will be presented with equity investments, University scholarship funds and personal Laptops/tablets at the Awards ceremony which comes up in November 2017. The winners will also be honoured with a Closing Gong ceremony at The Exchange. The schools of the top three winners will also be recognised and presented with prizes such as trophies, desktop computers and printers. The competition has already received support from Access Bank Plc and Prime Atlantic Nigeria Ltd and many more expected to join the growing list of sponsors,” he added.
Intending participants are required to submit their typewritten entries, which should not be more than 1,000 words via email to [email protected].
An online submission form is also available on www.nse.com.ng and the Nigerian Stock Exchange’s Facebook page. The entry submission is expected to close on Friday, October 27, 2017.
Recently, as part of efforts to boost capital market literacy, the NSE launched a knowledge platform, X-Academy, which offers bespoke capital market training programmes to equip individuals who will lead and transform businesses for sustainable growth.
This platform will help in strengthening financial literacy and enhance investment in the capital market.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, with 61.54 per cent of candidates obtaining credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Mr Amos Dangut, announced the results at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.
Mr Dangut said 1,200,514 candidates met the benchmark for admission to higher institutions, out of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination nationwide, held between April 24 and June 19.
He said 102,708 examiners were engaged in the marking exercise held at 88 marking venues across the country between 2 July and 20 July.
“Today, I am happy to inform you that all the processes leading to the release of results have been completed. It is now my pleasure to announce the release of the results of candidates who sat the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 in Nigeria,” he said, directing candidates to the agency’s portal to access their results.
“UPDATE: 2026 WASSCE (SC) results have been released. Generate your PIN at waec.org and check your results now on waecdirect.org,” the examination body said, noting that candidates must obtain their Serial Number and PIN before they can check their results.
To generate the required credentials, candidates are expected to visit WAEC’s official website and select the “Serial Number and PIN” option at the top of the page.
They are then required to select the appropriate examination year and diet, enter their examination number and National Identification Number (NIN), and ensure that the NIN provided is the same one used during registration for the examination.
Candidates must also provide their email address and phone number to receive a One-Time Password (OTP).
After entering the OTP, candidates can recover their Serial Number and PIN, which they can subsequently use to check their results through WAEC Direct.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Over 200 senior students of Cleggs Girls High School, Surulere, Lagos, were on July 23, 2026, engaged in practical knowledge about the risks associated with smoking, vaping, and shisha.
This engagement was made possible through a collaboration between Breathe Life Foundation and Teach Nigeria Fellow.
Participants were students aged 15–19 years. They were also informed about the misconception that shisha is a safer alternative to cigarettes or other substances.
Through an engaging and interactive discussion, students explored the influence of peer pressure and learned practical strategies for making healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.
They also gained a better understanding of common environmental triggers of asthma and other respiratory conditions, including cigarette smoke, generator fumes, bush burning, mosquito coil smoke, candles, charcoal, and firewood.
The session highlighted an important reality: young people may not always recognise how seemingly routine lifestyle choices and environmental exposures can gradually affect their respiratory health, quality of life, and long-term wellbeing.
For Breathe Life Foundation, this reinforces the importance of shifting the conversation from treatment to prevention through awareness and education.
By equipping young people with the knowledge to identify risks and make healthier choices early, the foundation is helping to build a generation that is more conscious of – and better prepared to protect – its respiratory health.
The organisation said it is dedicated to advancing respiratory health, an often-neglected public health priority. Healthy lungs are essential to life, yet respiratory diseases remain among the world’s leading causes of death and disability, even though many are preventable and treatable.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes, the Obajana Plant of Dangote Cement Plc has distributed some educational materials to some pupils in Kogi State.
The items shared to the beneficiaries included school bags, exercise books, writing materials, water bottles, and other essential learning aids aimed at enhancing the learning experience of the pupils and preparing them for the next academic session.
The General Manager for the Social Performance Department of Dangote Cement at Obajana Plant, Mr Ademola Adeyemi, said the materials were donated days after Dangote Cement distributed similar education materials to pupils in public schools in its catchment communities of Oyo, Iwaa, Obajana and Apata; and commissioned a multi-million-naira hospital in Obajana, which added to the growing list of social investments that includes an earlier hospital project in Iwaa and Oyo Communities.
He noted that, over the years, the company has invested billions of naira in a wide range of social programmes for host communities, including empowerment programmes, road construction, and potable water projects, and it remains resolute in its commitment to sustaining and expanding its interventions.
He noted that the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes are aligned with government development priorities and are implemented through sustained, mutually beneficial partnerships.
“The intervention was informed by findings from a needs assessment conducted by Dangote Cement. During the assessment, it was observed that several pupils attended school without school bags, while others carried their books by hand. It was also discovered that many students lacked essential learning materials such as exercise books, pens, pencils, and other basic learning materials,” the cement firm said.
The Head Teacher of UBE LGEA School, St. Luke Model II, Adankolo, Lokoja Local Government Area, Mr Abubakar Sanni, expressed profound appreciation to the management of Dangote Cement for the gesture.
The Head Teacher expressed gratitude to the Group President of the conglomerate, Aliko Dangote, for extending the company’s educational support programme beyond its host and impacted communities to schools located at the state headquarters.
The beneficiaries, school management, parents, and community stakeholders expressed gratitude to Dangote Cement for the timely intervention and prayed for the continued growth and success of the company in its efforts to improve lives and support sustainable community development.
