Assanwaa Akpene Yankson from Wesley Girls High School has been declared the winner of the 2019 UBA National Essay Competition.

This makes her the third student from the school to win the competition since its inception in 2014.

She follows Paulina Bedwiwaah Mensah who won in 2014 and currently pursuing medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Hannah Akahoho Segbefia who won the competition in 2016 and also studying Biochemistry at the same University.

The 6^th edition of the National Essay Competition recorded over a thousand applications from schools across the 16 regions of Ghana.

The emotional but exciting moment had Assanwaa Yankson winning the grand prize of a whopping USD5,000 worth of scholarship at the award ceremony which took place at the British Council Hall in Accra Monday, January 13, 2020.

Nathaniel Mawuli Fleku from the St. Mary’s Seminary Senior High School in the Volta Region also received a scholarship worth $3,000 for being the 1^st runner up, while Desmond Duodu Yeboah from Opoku Ware Senior High School in Kumasi got a scholarship worth $2,000 as the 2nd runner up.

Speaking at the ceremony, Isong Udom, the Managing Director of UBA Ghana congratulated all 10 finalists and encouraged them to utilize the platform given to them to excel in their academic pursuits.

“UBA is very committed to the area of education of the African in a bid to further transform the continent,” Mr Udom said.

Mr. Udom also congratulated Ms. Dorcas Darko, a past beneficiary who graduated from the University of Ghana in 2019 and advised the winners to emulate her example by taking their studies seriously to realize their academic dreams and aspirations.

Finalists and winners displaying their awards together with their parents

Deputy Minister of Education and MP for the Bosomtwi constituency in the Ashanti Region, Hon. Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum congratulated UBA for the initiative to support governments’ drive for ensuring that all eligible Ghanaian students are given the necessary opportunity to access education to the highest level possible.

He recounted his experiences and encouraged the students to strive hard to achieve their dreams through hard work and determination.

He urged other companies operating in Ghana to emulate the shining example of the UBA.

Each of the 10 finalists received a UBA branded Laptop as well as other UBA branded souvenirs as a token for the bold step taken to participate in the competition and making it to the final stage.

The announcement of this year’s awardees means that the Bank will now sponsor 18 students to attend any university of their choice across Africa.

The National Essay Competition, a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative of UBA Foundation after its launch in Ghana in 2014, has provided a competitive platform to develop the intellectual and writing abilities of SHS students in Ghana as well as granting winners fully paid scholarship into any University in Africa.