ECOWAS@50 UNDERGRADUATE ESSAY COMPETITION AWARDS CEREMONY HELD IN MONROVIA

The Office of the Resident Representative of the President of ECOWAS Commission in Liberia today held an awards ceremony to honour the winners of the ECOWAS@50 Undergraduate University and College Essay Competition.

Organized by the ECOWAS Resident Representative Office in Liberia, the competition was launched as part of activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ECOWAS. It sought to stimulate critical thinking and reflection among undergraduate students on the achievements and future trajectory of regional integration in West Africa through Youth Entrepreneurship. Submissions were accepted from 21st February to 2nd March 2026 via a dedicated online portal.

A total of forty (40) essays were received from students enrolled in various tertiary institutions across Liberia. The entries reflected a broad spectrum of perspectives and demonstrated robust intellectual engagement with the competition theme: “Youth Entrepreneurship as a Catalyst for National Development and Regional Integration.”

The ceremony was attended by Ambassadors of ECOWAS Member States accredited to Liberia, University Presidents, and officials from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the National Commission on Higher Education.

The first-place winner, Mr. Samuel R. Watkins of the University of Liberia, received a prize of USD 1,000, while the second-place winner, Mr. Daniel Isaac-Sie, Jr. of the African Methodist Episcopal University, received USD 700. Both essays are scheduled to be published in two national newspapers with an online presence.

In her congratulatory remarks, Her Excellency Josephine Nkrumah commended all participants for their intellectual rigour and challenged the students to engage in more writing projects. She stressed the importance of writing as a way of building youth inclusive voices that shape policy and national conversations. Youth inclusion in national development is one of the cardinal ECOWAS pillars in governance and she aligned this essay writing project to this pillar. She encouraged those who did not win to view the experience as motivation to strive for excellence in future endeavours.