National Essay Competition
Discover the platform empowering Nigeria's future leaders to shape the energy sector
The NCDMB National Essay Competition is a prestigious annual event that invites students from universities across Nigeria to showcase their intellectual abilities, critical thinking skills, and innovative ideas about the future of Nigeria's energy sector. Now in its 8th edition, the competition has become a cornerstone of youth engagement in national development.
Our mission is to foster a culture of academic excellence and encourage the next generation of leaders to contribute meaningfully to the discourse on energy sustainability, technological innovation, and economic development in Nigeria.
The NCDMB Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition is sponsored by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to promote academic excellence and Nigerian Content to encourage the youths to build local capacities and competencies to prepare for effective participation in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas industry.
Launched in 2017, the competition was established by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) as part of its mandate to develop indigenous capacity in the oil and gas industry. What began with just 500 participants from 20 universities has grown exponentially, with last year's edition attracting over 12,000 entries from 86 institutions nationwide.
The competition has produced remarkable talents who have gone on to secure internships with leading energy companies, receive scholarships for advanced studies, and contribute to policy discussions at the national level.
Online registration portal opens for all interested participants. Students can register and begin working on their essays.
All essays must be submitted through the online portal by this date. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Our panel of academic experts begins the rigorous evaluation process to select the top 50 essays from this date.
The top 10 finalists are announced and invited for an interactive assessment on or before this date
The final presentation and award ceremony where winners are announced and prizes distributed.
To ensure fair participation and equal opportunity, the competition has established the following eligibility requirements:
Open to full-time undergraduate students currently enrolled in Nigerian universities and polytechnics in their first and second year of studies.
Essays must be original work, 1500 words maximu, and address the announced topic for the year: “Sustaining Local Content Policies in The Transforming Oil And Gas Industry”
Participants must provide valid student ID, and upload admission letter and a recent passport photograph during the time of registration.
Individual participation only. Team submissions are not allowed in this competition.
We offer substantial rewards to recognize and support the exceptional talent of our winners:
Additional prizes include special recognition awards, certificates of participation for all finalists, and publication opportunities for outstanding essays.
The competition is open to all full-time undergraduate students currently enrolled in Nigerian universities and polytechnics. Participants must have an admission letter and in their 1st to 2rd year of study.
The essay topic for the 2025 competition is: “Sustaining Local Content Policies in The Transforming Oil And Gas Industry” Participants are encouraged to explore innovative approaches in sustaining the local content policies in this our transforming oil and gas industry.
Essays will be evaluated based on the following criteria: originality of thought, depth of analysis, clarity of expression, spelling and grammar, Relevance to industry and Confirmity to Contest rules. A panel of academic experts and industry professionals will conduct the evaluation.
No, each participant is limited to one submission. Multiple submissions from the same participant will result in disqualification. Ensure your essay represents your best work before submission.
Essays must be 1500 words maximum, excluding references and appendices. Submissions outside this range will be automatically disqualified. The word count shall be clearly stated at the end of the essay.
YES, each Essay submission will go though an AI pass test and Plagiarism test