Ikponmwosa Kingsley Osamede, a medical student at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has emerged winner of the national essay competition organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The award ceremony held at Transcorp Hilton Abuja, where Ikponmwosa Kingsley Osamede was presented with the award by the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dr. Dapo Abiodun.
The essay competition is a part of activities for the 25th anniversary of the 2019 Nigeria Economic Summit (NES) tagged Nigeria 2050: Shifting Gears organised to set agenda for Nigeria in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Ikponmwosa Kingsley Osamede had in 2017 won the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) essay competition in which over 2,000 Nigerian youths participated.
Judges for the competition comprising representatives from the NUC, declared Osamede overall winner after he satisfied all the judging criteria.
Speaking after winning the award, Ikponmwosa Kingsley Osamede said Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, was his major motivation, noting that the governor’s leadership style and the premium placed on mental infrastructure are germane to his quest for knowledge.
Ikponmwosa Kingsley Osamede, who describes himself as a mentee of Obaseki, said:
“Though a 4th-year medical student at the University of Benin, I never shy away from opportunities that would present the Edos in a positive light and lend my minutest support to your administration in changing the narrative about Edo youths.
The governor is my mentor in every way. Right from your emergence as Governor of Edo State, I have been in awe of your wisdom and charisma. I have listened to you talk at close quarters when you hosted me last year and I must say that it gave me an overflow of inspiration and motivation.
Your love for development, mental capacity, civility and progress of Edo citizens in general, has made me not just a proud and loyal subject of yours but also a mentee that would, for a lifetime, cherish knowing you.”
