The finals of the Ibadan Cultural Festival Essay Competition held on Saturday, February 26, 2022 at Ibadan House, Oke Aremo. The competition, which was open to all students of Ibadan origin in all tertiary institutions in the country and beyond, had its title as “Ibadanland Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Imagining the Future of a City”. After the screening of submissions, a panel of judges produced a shortlist of four finalists including Abdulroshid Sadiq (from the University of Ibadan), Bukunmi Alade Agboola (from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), Morufat Tijani (from University of Ibadan) and Nabeelah Mobolaji-Ajani (from University of Ilorin).
Coordinated by Prof. Remi Raji-Oyelade, the chairman of the Education Subcommittee, the shortlisted candidates were given the opportunity to present their essays before a moderate audience comprising the executive members of CCII led by the President-General, Prince Oluyemisi Adeaga, the Cultural Festival Committee headed by Balogun Gafar Ojetola, parents, friends and well-wishers of the contestants.
In his opening speech, the President-General, Prince Adeaga congratulated the finalists (including Bukunmi Agboola who participated via Zoom) for showcasing their writing abilities. He encouraged them to develop more interest in the cultural affairs of the city of their birth and the sky will be their limits.
With Balogun Ojetola as time-keeper, and the Mr Olatunji Oladejo and Mrs Adenike Adefioye as judges, the contestants had their turns before the audience.
At the end of the competition, the first place winner was Abdulroshid Sadiq, and the first runner-up was Morufat Ajani, with both Bukunmi Agboola and Nabeelah Mobolaji-Ajani coming head-to-head as joint second runners-up.
All the finalists were commended for showing great promise. The official awards ceremony for the winners of this essay competition and the quiz competition among secondary school students will come up on March 17, 2022 as part of the Ibadan Cultural Festival 2022 events.
