The Sterling Team, in collaboration with the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Nigeria, is pleased to announce the commencement of the 2025 National Essay Competition for Secondary School Students. This annual initiative aims to inspire and empower young Nigerians to actively participate in climate advocacy by transforming environmental challenges into sustainable development opportunities.

This year’s competition serves as a key highlight of the National Sustainability Week, reinforcing the commitment of both organizers to promoting environmental awareness, youth participation, and sustainable solutions within local communities.

Essay Theme: “Turning Climate Challenges in My Community into Opportunities for Growth.”

The topic invites students to reflect on specific environmental issues affecting their communities and propose innovative, actionable solutions that can lead to sustainable growth and development. This is an opportunity for students to showcase their creativity, critical thinking, and passion for climate action.

Eligibility Criteria:

- Open exclusively to current senior secondary school students (SS1 to SS3).

Applicants must be enrolled in a public or government-owned secondary school in any of the 36 states of Nigeria.

- Only one entry per student and per school will be accepted.

- Each submission must include complete and accurate contact details for the applicant’s teacher or principal to verify authenticity.

Submission Guidelines:

- Essays must be typed, original, and must not exceed 1,000 words in length.

- Plagiarism or the use of AI-generated content will result in automatic disqualification.

- To confirm authorship, each applicant is required to record a 2–3 minute video presentation summarizing their essay.

- Videos must be recorded in vertical (portrait) format with clear audio and video quality to ensure a fair review process.

Submission Deadline:

All entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM WAT on November 14, 2025

How to Apply:

Interested students should visit here

This competition offers young minds across Nigeria a valuable platform to contribute meaningfully to national discourse on climate and sustainability. Students are encouraged to participate, not only to win, but to inspire change.