ACA Foundation Grants ₦14 million in Prizes to Nigerian Students

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Esther Oluku

More than 120 secondary‑school students in Lagos State were awarded a total of N14 million in prizes at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Ethical Living Project.

The Ethical Living Project is an annual mentorship programme and essay competition run by the African Capital Alliance Foundation in partnership with Enactus Nigeria. It is designed to nurture ethical values and leadership skills among secondary‑school students, encouraging them to become positive changemakers in their communities and beyond.

Prizes were announced yesterday in Lagos for the first, second and third place winners of the essay competition held by 40 participating schools. The awards consisted of cash consolation prizes and scholarships.

Mr. Paul Kokoricha, Chairman of the African Capital Alliance Foundation, said the programme is now in its third year and has expanded significantly. The first edition involved only ten schools across three of the state’s six education districts. The second edition grew to 20 schools. This year’s edition included 40 schools across all six districts, engaging 4,145 students, of whom 2,888 (about 70 %) actively participated in the essay competition.

He added, “Our hope is that every student who has participated in this project leaves with a stronger conviction that integrity is not weakness, honesty is not outdated, and ethical leadership remains one of the greatest tools for societal transformation. It is a long‑term investment in the future of our nation.”

Winners from each school received N50,000 for first place, N30,000 for second place and N20,000 for third place as consolation prizes. The overall first, second and third place winners were awarded scholarships of N5 million, N3 million and N2 million respectively.

Mr. Michael Ajayi, Country Director of Enactus Nigeria, urged participants to keep practising the values they have learned, noting that personal transformation requires continuous effort and self‑responsibility, even when no one is watching.