Coal City University Annual Essay Contest

The yearly essay competition at Coal City University Annual Essay Contest is designed to inspire students to improve their writing abilities, gain self-assurance, and demonstrate their inventiveness.

It aids in raising youth population awareness of current world issues. It seeks to foster and arouse the youthful mind’s initiative and capacity for original ideas toward sustainable growth.

The essay competition also aims to make society aware of the lessons the children have to share with us and that it is our job as a society to deal with these concerns.

Table of Contents

Theme

“Drugs Abuse in Nigeria”

Teenagers in Nigeria are increasingly abusing drugs, which is a serious threat to the country’s social, economic, and political stability.

The problem of drug misuse among young people in Nigeria is complex, with a variety of social, economic, and cultural variables all playing a role.

The main causes of drug usage among young people in Nigeria are poverty and a lack of access to necessities like housing, healthcare, and education, which makes them idle and susceptible to substance abuse.

Peer pressure is another element that fuels drug addiction among young people in Nigeria. Young individuals frequently give in to peer pressure.

To blend in or be accepted by their peers, they engage in drug experimentation. Many young individuals become addicted as a result of this behavior, which keeps them caught in a cycle of drug usage.

Drug traffickers and dealers have taken advantage of young people’s vulnerabilities to sell drugs, substantially increasing their accessibility and availability in Nigeria in recent years.

The situation has been exacerbated by the Nigerian government’s mainly unsuccessful attempts to combat drug trafficking and abuse.

A comprehensive strategy that targets the root causes of the issue is required to address drug misuse among young people in Nigeria.

This includes funding educational and career-training initiatives that will provide young people with the abilities and information necessary to find fulfilling work.

In order to combat poverty and the risk factors that are linked to it, the government must also offer necessities like shelter, healthcare, and education.

Additionally, efforts should be made to raise public knowledge of the risks associated with drug usage, particularly the negative effects on physical and mental health as well as the social and financial implications.

Public awareness campaigns and educational initiatives with a focus on children, teens, and their families can accomplish this.

Youth drug misuse in Nigeria is a serious issue that has to be addressed immediately. We can lessen the incidence of drug usage and its detrimental effects on Nigerian society by addressing the root causes of the issue by implementing a comprehensive strategy that includes education, awareness campaigns, and law enforcement.

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Essay

There once was a young man by the name of Tunde in Nigeria. Tunde was a gifted student who always outperformed the class and had lofty aspirations for the future. But Tunde had a secret that he didn’t share with his loved ones or pals. He had a drug problem.

At first, Tunde just indulged in drug use for fun. On the weekends, he and his pals would use marijuana and become high.

But soon he discovered that to get the same effect, he needed more and more medicines. His life started to spiral out of control when he started using harsher drugs like heroin and cocaine.

Due to his addiction, Tunde dropped out of school and lost connection with his friends and family. He lost his home and now lives on the streets, begging for cash to buy narcotics. He was unable to separate himself from his addiction, which had taken control of his life.

You get the chance to conduct research on and compose a 1000-word essay about drug usage issues in Nigeria as a senior secondary school student. The question for this essay might be:

A study titled “Drug Abuse in Nigeria: Exploring the Causes, Effects, and Solutions”

You could explore the causes of drug misuse in Nigeria, such as poverty, peer pressure, and a lack of education, in your essay.

You might also talk about how drug usage has a terrible impact on people’s families, communities, and society as a whole. Most importantly, you can talk about possible fixes for this social issue, like easier access to healthcare and education.

This essay aims to inform readers about the risks associated with drug misuse in Nigeria and motivate them to take proactive measures.

We want you to spend some time seriously considering your arguments as you compose this essay, assimilate the information, and be ready to present your results to your peers.

You can be invited to the award ceremony to present and discuss your essay if it is chosen for one.

Submission Guidelines

An essay can be submitted by any Senior Secondary School (SS1-SS3) student who registers for the competition.
The essay should be 700 to 1000 words long, with the title and author’s name typed at the top of the first page (these are not counted toward the word count).
It should be written in British English.
Participants should register and enter the competition online at ccu.edu.ng, the university’s website. Per person, only one entry will be accepted.
Essays that have been previously published will not be accepted.
Essays written jointly won’t be approved.
The entered essays’ copyright would be given to the organizers.
Participants must adhere precisely to the June 9, 2023 (11:59 PM WAT) submission deadline.

Students Who Are Chosen: The students will be told by email and text message. By June 30, 2023, the winners’ names may also be posted on the school’s website and social media pages.

PS: We can’t answer individual questions about how the contest went.

Prizes

The following awards would be given to recognise excellence and promote participation:

First Prize: 500,000 Naira or a full scholarship to Coal City University for any chosen study, along with an achievement certificate.
250,000 Naira and an achievement certificate constitute the second prize.
A Certificate of Achievement and 150,000 Naira were awarded as the third prize.
Consolation rewards and a Certificate of Participation will be given to all shortlisted students.
If appropriate, additional Awards (Best School Award, School Incentive Award) will be granted.

Judging Criteria

Accordance with the subject
clarity in speech and thought
Originality and uniqueness of the ideas given Coherence and order of the essay
Research breadth and bolstering data
correctness in grammar and general quality of writing

Selection Procedure

The following is the selection process for the essay contest:

Fill out a registration form that is available on the contest’s website (www.ccu.edu.ng) if you are a student who is interested in participating. The student’s name, school, grade level, contact information, and a statement that they have read and comprehend the rules are all included on the registration form.
By the due date of June 9, 2023, students must submit their essays online through the school’s website (https://ccu.edu.ng/index.php/2023-essay-competition/). Essays will be judged by a panel of judges who will assess the entries using the listed criteria. A panel of professionals will judge the writings while maintaining their anonymity. All submissions will be taken into account equally.
Essays will be judged by a panel of judges who will assess the entries using the listed criteria. A panel of professionals will judge the writings while maintaining their anonymity. All submissions will be taken into account equally.
The top 20 essays will be narrowed down by the judges based on their caliber, applicability, originality, and coherence. The top 20 essays will advance to the second round after being ranked according to their scores.
Invitation: The top 20 essay finalists will be given the opportunity to present orally in front of a panel of judges and a predetermined audience, which may include parents, teachers, stakeholders, academics, principals, and other students. Finalists have the chance to demonstrate their writing prowess and ability to effectively communicate during the oral presentations that make up the second round of selection.
Guidelines: The finalists will get guidelines about the presentation’s duration and format, as well as any materials they might need.
Evaluation: The same standards used in the earlier rounds of selection will be applied by the judges to assess the oral presentations. The finalists will be evaluated on how well they can express their thoughts, interact with the audience, and answer inquiries in order to give a more thorough evaluation of their abilities.
Final rating: The results of the oral presentation and the preceding round of selection will be added to establish the final rating. The contest’s top-scoring essay will be crowned the winner, and second- and third-place honors will also be given.
Award Ceremony: The award ceremony will include the announcement of the winners, who will then accept their rewards in front of stakeholders, academics, principals, parents, teachers, and other students. The award presentation is scheduled for July 14, 2023, at the University Auditorium.

FORM OF REGISTRATION

We’ll keep you informed about the essay contest for 2023, the selection of applicants, and the award ceremony. All participants would be contacted to confirm their contact details and the status of their essays.