Broadcasting
12year Old Pupil Emerges Winner of Inaugural Heirs Life Essay Championship
Ugbomyke Princewill Ebubechukwu, a 12year old pupil of Gateway Schools, Enugu, has emerged the winner of the first edition of Heirs Life Essay Championship.
L:R Proprietress, Gateway Schools, Enugu, Dr. Loveline Ndu, Winner, Heirs Life Essay Championship, Ugbomyke Princewill, Communications Manager, Heirs Life Assurance Limited, Timilehin Adebiyi and Head, Retail Sales, Heirs Life Assurance Limited, Olugbenga Osibodu, at the presentation ceremony of Heirs Life Essay Championship Cup at Gateway Schools, Enugu, Enugu state on Friday, August 19, 2022.
The nationwide competition was organised by Heirs Life Assurance (HLA), the leading digital life insurance company in Nigeria, with over one thousand pupils submitting entries from across the country.
As the overall winner, Princewill was with presented a brand-new laptop, the prize for the first place, and his school, Gateway Schools, represented by the proprietress Dr. Loveline Ndu received the Heirs Life Essay Championship cup and N500,000 worth of books and other educational materials at the award ceremony held in Enugu, Enugu State on, Friday, August 19, 2022.
Participating students were tasked to submit a 500-word essay on the topic, ‘If I were the President of Nigeria.’ The over 1000 entries received were graded by a team of experts under the leadership of a notable Professor of English Language, followed by a selection interview for further quality assurance.
Other winners include Purity Chukwudi Chetachi, a Basic 5 pupil of Star of Hope School, Lagos, who emerged first runner up and won a cash prize of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000), and Abidoye Habeeb, a JSS 2 student of Mivara Secondary School, Lagos, who won third place with a cash prize of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000).
According to the MD/CEO of Heirs Life Assurance Limited, Niyi Onifade, the Essay Championship showcase the highly intellectual young future leaders in our nation.
He said, “All the students who participated in this competition are winners. However, we can only award a few of them. Indeed, the quality of essays that we received from these amazing students was fascinating and the winner, Princewill Ugbomyke, expressed himself in such a remarkable way that one could easily visualise his dreams for our country. We congratulate Princewill, his school, and the other finalists, and wish all of them a very bright future.”
Speaking on behalf of the star prize winner, Ugbomyke Princewill Ebubechukwu, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ebubechukwu, appreciated Heirs Life for their initiative and the opportunity given to students to compete in an educative and cordial manner. They also wished the Management of Heirs Life greater successes in their future endeavours.
The Heirs Life Essay Championship is one of the company’s activities to launch its flagship product for schools – the Heirs Smart School Plan, an affordable low-cost plan that promises to pay a child’s school fees throughout his/her stay in the school if the parent is unable to do so in a case of death or permanent disability. The Smart School Plan served as an inspiration for the essay competition.
Heirs Life Assurance (HLA) is a specialist life insurance company offering simple, quick, accessible, and reliable life insurance, retirement, and children’s education protection plans. HLA offers a wide range of personalised life insurance protection and investment plans that provide financial security to individuals and businesses. Heirs Life is also a subsidiary of Heirs Holdings, a pan-African investment group with presence across four continents and 20 African countries.
Mr. Tim Akano, New Horizons Chief Executive Officer, took centre stage at the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) annual end-of-year meeting on Thursday, December 18, 2025, recounting the company’s remarkable growth and reaffirming free IT training for journalists.
Tim Akano, New Horizons Chief Executive Officer, in a group photograph with NITRA Members
Speaking directly to IT media members at the company’s training facility in Lagos, Akano acknowledged the critical role journalists played in supporting New Horizons during its formative years two decades ago.
He detailed how the firm evolved from a handful of staff to one of Africa’s leading ICT skills training organisations, now employing about 500 staff across multiple training centres nationwide.
Akano Spotlights Youth Training, University Partnerships
Akano highlighted that New Horizons has trained over 500,000 youths, particularly tertiary institution students, equipping them with practical IT skills essential for Nigeria’s digital economy.
He announced recent partnerships with universities, including a new agreement with Afe Babalola University, to scale hands-on training programmes for students.
“This growth would not have been possible without the media’s support in documenting our journey,” Akano stated, pledging continued free IT skills training for media members to remain competitive in the evolving digital landscape.
Reciprocal Support Defines Long-Standing Partnership
The venue hosting the NITRA meeting underscored Akano’s generosity; NITRA Secretary Chidiebere Nwankwo secured the free facility after contacting him—a gesture consistent with New Horizons hosting multiple association events and training IT journalists since its inception 20 years ago.
Participants shared personal testimonies of Akano’s support, including veteran journalist Aaron Ukodie, whose daughter—an Accounting graduate from the University of Johannesburg—received NYSC placement and IT scholarship at New Horizons.
The Guardian’s Yemi Adeyemi recounted Akano accommodating his editor’s child for mandatory IT training after other firms declined.
Members praised Akano’s commitment to human capital development as evidence of deep appreciation for the media community that chronicled New Horizons’ success over two decades.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has launched the NIMC Pre-Enrolment Portal to revolutionise the National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment process, enabling applicants within Nigeria and in the Diaspora to capture biodata online prior to biometric verification at enrolment centres.
NIMC
Accessible via penrol.nimc.gov.ng, the platform allows users to fill enrolment forms, schedule appointments, upload supporting documents securely, and manage personal details directly, thereby slashing congestion, minimising wait times, boosting data accuracy and enhancing overall service efficiency at centres nationwide.
NIMC Director-General and CEO, Engr. (Dr) Abisoye Coker-Odusote, spearheaded the initiative as part of the Commission’s technology-driven strategy to fortify institutional performance, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda that emphasises digital transformation, efficient public service delivery and inclusive national development.
Dr Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications, highlighted key benefits including simplified biodata handling, confidential data protection through robust security measures, reduced physical centre visits and heightened operational effectiveness, urging all prospective enrollees to adopt the portal for a faster, citizen-friendly experience.[conversation_history]
The move underscores NIMC’s mandate under the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007 to manage the National Identity Database, issue NINs and foster a reliable digital identity ecosystem vital for national planning, with users advised to complete pre-enrolment online before heading to selected centres for biometrics.
MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), a Pan-African film and television training institution, has announced the opening of applications for its 2026 intake.
MultiChoice
The fully funded programme is open to African graduates aspiring to become directors, filmmakers, scriptwriters, producers and storytellers.
According to MultiChoice, the nine-month accredited curriculum combines online learning with intensive in-person training, and is designed to balance theoretical knowledge with practical immersion.
MTF academies are located in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia, and serve aspiring filmmakers from 14 African countries. Since its inception in 2018, the initiative has trained 296 filmmakers, with graduates producing more than 42 movies aired on DStv, GOtv and Showmax platforms.
Organisers said alumni of the programme have gone on to establish over 50 production companies, while many continue to work within the MultiChoice ecosystem.
Graduates have also won accolades at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Kalasha Awards, Uganda Film Festival and Women in Film Awards.
Applications for the 2026 intake close on Feb. 27, 2026. Interested candidates can visit https://apo-opa.co/3XW53oE for programme requirements.
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