ACA Foundation Awards N14m in Prizes to Nigerian Students

Esther Oluku 

No less than 120 secondary school students across Lagos State have received 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 organised by the African Capital Alliance Foundation in partnership with Enactus Nigeria aimed at nurturing ethical and leadership values amongst secondary school students and empowering them to become positive changemakers in their communities and beyond.

The prizes, which were awarded to the first, second and third place winners of the essay competition across the 40 participating schools, was announced in Lagos, yesterday, in a combination of cash consolation rewards and scholarships.

According to the Chairman, African Capital Alliance Foundation, Mr. Paul Kokoricha, the programme, which is now in its third year, has grown in reach from its first edition which hosted only ten schools across three of the state’s six education districts.

The second edition, he  said, hosted 20 schools. This year’s edition, being the third, hosted 40 schools across the state’s six education districts engaging an impressive 4,145 students with 2,888 students, representing approximately 70 per cent of participants, actively taking part in the essay competition. 

He said: “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who has participated in this project leaves with a stronger conviction that integrity is not weakness, honesty is not outdated, and ethical leadership remains one of the greatest tools for societal transformation.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.” 

First, second and third place winners across the 40 participating schools received N50,000, N30,000 and N20,000 respectively as consolation prizes, with the overall first, second and third place winners receiving N5 million, N3 million and N2 million naira respectively in scholarships.

The Country Director, Enactus Nigeria, Mr. Michael Ajayi, charged participants to continue engaging the values which they have learned sharing that the journey to personal transformation requires the continuous effort of holding one’s self responsible whether or not someone is watching.