By Ismah Ayomide Hassan
The Nigerian Youth Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiative, in partnership with the Youth Development Centre (YDC) at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, has announced the “green skills essay competition,” inviting young Nigerians to share their ideas on a critical global topic to commemorate International Youth Day 2025.
It offers a unique platform for youth to contribute their voices to the national conversation on sustainability. The core aim of this competition is to actively engage and empower young people across Nigeria, helping them understand and contribute significantly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Beyond this, the program is designed to spark creativity, critical thinking, and strong communication skills among participants, nurturing the next generation of thought leaders. It seeks to raise public awareness about the crucial role of “green skills” and sustainable development in building a better future.
Prizes and benefits the green skills competition offers
- The first-place winner will receive N250,000 and national recognition for their achievement.
- The second-place winner will be awarded N150,000.
- The third-place winner will receive N100,000
Beyond the monetary prizes, the benefits extend to broader recognition and professional development. All participants in the competition will receive valuable certificates of participation. Winning essays will also gain prominence by being published on the Nigerian Youth SDGs website, showcasing the authors’ ideas to a wider audience.
Furthermore, the top winners of the green skills competion will be celebrated during a special award ceremony held at the prestigious Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.
Who can apply?
The green skills opportunity is exclusively open to young Nigerian citizens who are between the ages of 18 and 35. Applicants are expected to demonstrate a clear understanding of the essay’s central theme and a genuine commitment to the principles of sustainable development. Here are the specific qualifications for applicants:
- Must be a Nigerian citizen.
- Must be between 18 and 35 years old.
- Must demonstrate strong understanding of the essay theme.
- Must show commitment to sustainable development.
Application requirements
- To enter the competition, applicants must submit an original essay that directly addresses the theme: ‘Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World.’
- The essay must be written in English and fall within a word count of 1000 to 1500 words.
- It is crucial that all submissions are original work and completely free from any form of plagiarism.
- Each essay must include a dedicated title page, providing the applicant’s full name, age, gender, state of residence, phone number, and email address.
- All submissions should be sent as a Microsoft Word document via email.
Key dates and deadlines
- The deadline for the submissions is September 14th, 2025.
- Following this submission period, the highly anticipated announcement of the winners will take place on September 15th, 2025, coinciding with International Youth Day.
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