Winner to get N10m as NGO unveils reading competition for students in Rivers

The Education Champions League (ECL), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has unveiled a quiz competition to improve the reading culture among students in Rivers state.

In a statement on Thursday, Eme Ekekwe, chairman of the board of ECL, said the competition is scheduled to take place in September. 

Ekwekwe said the winner of the competition will receive N10 million, while the first and second runners-up will get N5 million and N2.5 million, respectively.

He said the competition will test the students’ comprehension, writing, and analytical skills while assessing their reading ability.

“We want to begin to build the core of Nigerians interested in leadership and in being good citizens,” the statement reads. 

“We believe that if we start at the secondary school level, it will help those crop of Nigerians to take responsibility in society and run those positions transparently, honestly, and in a way that meets some of the things we think are lacking now, in terms of leadership.”

Ekwekwe said the books for the competition include ‘Fellow Nigerians; It’s All Politics’ by Simon Kolawole, publisher and chief executive officer (CEO) of TheCable.

Others are ‘The Arc of the Possible’ by Waziri Adio and Bolaji Abdullahi’s ‘On a Platter of Gold’.

“And one specific tool we want to use is to get young people to begin to read,” he said. 

“When they read, they are aware of their environment and can understand the issues affecting them. 

“A book leads you through a process, which is invaluable, whereas most of what is on social media is not material for leadership or good citizenship. Whether you read online or in hardcopy, please read.”