e shock me say na this boy write this essay that won the 1-year sponsorship of 2m.

My first thought when I saw the first line of the essay was like "una sure say na this small boy truly write this essay?"

Don't crucify me. I had my reasons to doubt but as it is in my nature, I do my research before I talk... 😂. I started digging for more details and Lo and behold, the essay competition wasn't even organized here in Akwa Ibom State.

My investigation revealed that he was subjected to a virtual interview and an on-the-spot written assessment by the organizing body to conclude that he truly wrote this.
According to the Mum, he was previously disqualified from an essay competition because his write-up was too good for a boy of his age. But in this one, the process was thoroughly done as professionals should.

The boy is good, his vocabulary is vastly rich, and his wordplay is excellent. His presentation is intriguing, once you start reading it, you can't break off till you finish it. The imagery, diction, suspense, and firm grab of knowledge are way beyond his age. I'm wowed. But why won't he, when at this age, he is already reading from the likes of Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Adichie? I bet you, some elderly persons may need the help of a dictionary to perfectly assimilate this 5 paragraph essay. I see a great writer emerging.

Congratulations Boy!
Congratulations to the Mum too Mrs Mfon Carabella Essien



Read the essay he wrote to win the "Heirs Life Essay Championship 2023". The topic was "My Dream Career":

"I could be a doctor, but the mere sight of blood gives me goosebumps. I could be a dentist, but having my hands in people’s mouths doesn’t really appeal to me. And if we’re just dreaming here, I might even fancy being a mechanic, yet I see myself as more of a sedentary worker. Hundreds if not thousands of careers exist in our ever-expanding world; it is incredulous that one would lack what to do. I barely found anything that interested me, until one day I fell in love with the most seemingly ludicrous of careers. Of the vast litany of careers, I would love to be a writer—a novelist.

Never have I mentioned becoming a writer without receiving more than a fair share of raised eyebrows. I wonder why, though, how such a prestigious discipline is now barely recognized as a career. The truth is that writing gave birth to civilization. Only when man invented the concept of writing, was he able to tap into the pent-up cache of knowledge he possessed. To the layman, writing is the art of presenting ideas in a literary form; but it goes deeper. It is beyond words on paper; it is a window to the soul, giving us glimpses of the extraordinary, manifesting in an ordinary world. Writers—indeed novelists push boundaries; they are not restricted to the confines of human reasoning, they go above and beyond to fill our black-and-white world with colour, creating a dazzling polychrome of wonder.

A year ago, if you had asked me what I thought of novelists, I probably would have given you a disparaging opinion of them. It is ironic that I now find myself appraising the profession. It begs the question, “How did it all happen?”. The desire to live an extraordinary life stoked the fire. Often, I would imagine death-defying adventures for myself. Writing was a way of living my dreams through my characters. When I write, it feels like I am leaving the realms of conventional thinking, freeing myself from the shackles of human law.

From a tender age, I had wanted to save and serve the world. As a writer, I can reach millions and give them hope in their darkest hour. I want to inspire Nigerians—the world—to spark a fire in them like Chinua Achebe did. I remember the sensation of pride whenever I read Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, or the sublime when I riffle through the pages of Chimamanda Adichie's Purple Hibiscus. I want to give that to Nigerians: the conviction that no matter how dark the path gets, there is a light at the end.

Writing, eminent in simplicity and transcendence, dives deep into the soul. The pen, a force whose capabilities have not yet been unleashed, may hold the key to ushering in a new era of innovations. I love writing because it is more than just ink and paper; it is blood, sweat, toil, and tears. Most of all, it is passion."