A student from The Ambassadors’ College in Ota, Ogun State, Miss Iremide Ogunyemi, has won N2 million in cash, a publishing deal worth N2 million, and another N2 million to enhance her school’s library. She emerged as the grand prize winner of the inaugural edition of the Read2Lead writing competition, organized by Fidelity Bank. The announcement was made during the competition’s prize presentation event held in Lagos over the weekend.
At the event, Mrs. Pamela Shodipo, Executive Director of the South Directorate at Fidelity Bank Plc, spoke on behalf of Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, OON, the bank’s Managing Director and CEO. She explained that the initiative was created to help students realize their creative potential and better position themselves 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 power of education to transform nations. That belief inspired us to organize the Read2Lead initiative. By encouraging reading and writing from a young age, we aim to equip children with the skills to tackle academic challenges with confidence and solve life’s problems with creativity,” said Onyeali-Ikpe.
She further emphasized that the Read2Lead initiative reflects Fidelity Bank’s commitment to instilling a reading and writing culture in young people. Citing American journalist and reformer Margaret Fuller’s famous quote, “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader,” Onyeali-Ikpe stressed the importance of nurturing young minds early to unlock their potential and set them on the path to success.
The prize presentation ceremony was attended by a representative of the Ogun State Commissioner of Education, Fidelity Bank’s management staff, the top 30 students in the competition, their parents, teachers, peers, and various media professionals.
Miss Ogunyemi, overwhelmed with joy, shared her experience: “When I started, I didn’t expect to be a finalist. I participated because I love writing. This was the first competition I encountered that asked for a fictional essay, and since that’s my interest, I decided to join. I want to thank Fidelity Bank for organizing such a wonderful and creative competition.”
In a surprising turn of events, Miss Mfeheke Okoko and Miss Daniella Orji, also students of The Ambassadors’ College, Ota, Ogun State, received N1.5 million and N1 million, respectively, as the first and second runners-up in the competition, which attracted participants from across Nigeria in three phases of writing challenges.
The first phase of the initiative, called “The National Writing Showdown,” involved over 3,000 students completing a creative writing task, with the top 150 advancing to the next stage.
In the second phase, known as “The Sweeta Writing Mastery,” the top 150 participants were assigned a novel to read and asked to create an alternate ending. This challenge narrowed the field down to the top 30 finalists.
In the third and final phase, titled “The Author’s Workshop,” the top 30 students participated in an immersive writing boot camp led by experienced writers and facilitators, who selected the top three winners of the competition.
