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National Essay Competition 2026
Application Deadline:
November 13th, 2026
Essay Topic:
If you were given the opportunity to redesign the education system in Ghana in order to prepare young people for the challenges and opportunities of the future, what three key changes would you introduce to the way students learn? Explain how your proposals would encourage creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and innovation, and why you believe they are essential to Ghana’s development.
Selection Criteria and Eligibility
- Be a High School Student in Ghana
- Must submit a handwritten essay (750 words MAX)
- Must submit a passport photograph
- Must submit a copy of a Birth Certificate, Ghana Card, School ID or Passport
Selection procedure:
-
Entries received for the competition will be reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges made up of professors from reputable Ghanaian Universities, who will then shortlist 10 essays for further assessement.
- Following this, a second round of competition will involve the 10 finalists who will write a second supervised essay from which three best essays will be selected as the overall winners from the 10 finalists emerged from the first round of the competition
About National Essay Competition
Now in its 11th edition, the National Essay Competition,
targeted at senior secondary students in
Ghana is organized annually, as part of UBA
Foundation’s education initiative which is aimed at
promoting the reading culture and encouraging healthy and intellectual competition amongst secondary school students in Ghana and across Africa.
Awards
The first prize for the UBA National Essay
Competition is a $5,000 educational grant,
while the second and third prizes are $,3000
and $2,000 in educational grants to any African University of their choice.
Number of Scholarships: 3
How to apply
Applicants should send in handwritten essay entries of not more than seven hundred and fifty words on the selected topic to any UBA Ghana Branch or online via this link. Applicants must submit their complete contact information (name & address of school, telephone number, residential and email addresses). Applicants must attach photocopies of their original birth certificates, Ghana Card or international passport data pages. Entries close on 13th November 2026. Late entries will not be accepted. Applicants must be Senior High School students schooling in Ghana. The educational grant is only applicable to applications who intend to study at an African University. The decision of the judge is final