The Proprietor/President of Cradle 2 Harvard International School, Abuja, Phrank Shaibu, has said that the 2022 Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition will enhance literary skills of pupils and bring out the best in them.
Shaibu said this at the launch and public presentation of the essay competition, which was hosted by the school in Abuja.
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay competition is an annual event hosted across the 54 Commonwealth nations.
This year’s edition has: “Our Commonwealth” as its theme.
Shaibu said: “We are excited to be here, we are excited to host this event, that is the flag-off and official launch of the 2022 Commonwealth Essay Competition organised by the Queen of England. It is an interesting one because I am a linguistic activist, who turned to a school proprietor or school president as my kids fondly called me.
“We elected to host this event because of my love for writing, my love for education and I believe we should be at the forefront in salvaging our educational system.
“It is an annual event across the 54 Commonwealth nations in the world, and this particular edition’s topic is ‘Our Commonwealth’, and it is meant to bring out the best in the literary skills and abilities of children across the Commonwealth nations. So, what it does is that it encourages them, it fosters bonding, it encourages writing skills and improvement in literary writing.”
Country Director, Royal Commonwealth Society, Nigeria Branch, Mr. Blackson Bayewumi, said the essay competition was the oldest international writing competition for schools with thousands of young people participating annually.
He noted that this year’s event was put together to also mark the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II on the throne.
Bayewumi said: “Today’s event is two in one. We are publicly launching the 2022 edition of the Queen Commonwealth Essay competition for schools in Nigeria for them to join their colleagues in the Commonwealth to participate in the essay competition. The winner will be invited to the Palace in London for a one-week event that will culminate in an award ceremony at the Palace in London and a lot of certificates will be given…
“Secondly, we are celebrating Her Majesty’s platinum jubilee. Her Majesty is not just the Queen of England of the United Kingdom, she is also the Head of the Commonwealth.”
British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Atkinson, hailed the students, saying: “You are the future of Nigeria and the Commonwealth and with what I have seen today, Nigeria is in safe hands.”
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay competition is subdivided into two categories; Junior Category for students from 14 years and below and Senior Category – 14 years to 18 years, while entries to this year’s competition will close on 30 June, 2022.
