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Wednesday, 26 August 2026 Reading Room

World

Rivers Student, Agburum, Gets N1m as Winner of 2026 Mike Okonkwo Essay Contest

Uchechukwu Nnaike A year after 15-year-old Davina Phillips from Bloombreed School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, emerged the overall winner of the 2025 Bishop Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition for Secondary

thisdaylive.com ·

Clinton Chimenem Agburum, a student at Deeper Life High School in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has been crowned the winner of the 2026 Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition. He achieved an impressive 79 percent overall, scoring 72 percent in the first round and 85 percent in the second. Agburum's victory comes just a year after Rivers State student Davina Phillips won the 2025 edition.

Second place went to Alimi-Adeiga Mosorireoluwa from Holyland Senior College, Ipaja, with an average total of 75 percent, while Oloruntimilehin Elijah Oladipo from Isolo Comprehensive Senior High School came third with a 70 percent average. Chief Examiner Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo noted that the essays showcased the transformative impact of science and technology on education, with many students leveraging AI as a learning aid.

Ezeigbo stressed the need to adapt the curriculum to integrate AI and prepare students for the future. The 2026 winners and their schools will receive their prizes on September 3, 2026, at the Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture series in Lagos.

Written by urgent.news from This Day's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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U.S. President Donald Trump's pressure on Canada to drop French as an official language has had an unexpected effect - a sharp decline in support for Quebec separatism. The movement for Quebec to become an independent country has been a decades-long issue in Canada, with pro-independence activists arguing that the mainly French-speaking province needs to be free from the rest of Canada to preserve its language and culture. In a recent development, President Trump suggested that Canada drop French as an official language, saying that only English should be used. His comments sparked widespread criticism in Canada, and Quebec nationalists also responded angrily. However, a recent survey found that support for Quebec's independence from Canada has dropped sharply, to 30 percent from 46 percent in 2017. The survey, conducted by the Léger Association, found that 60 percent of Quebec residents oppose independence. The movement for Quebec's independence has ebbed and flowed over the years, but it had been gaining strength in recent years. The sharp decline in support for independence is attributed to various factors, including a strong Canadian economy and a united front against Trump's comments. The Canadian government has taken a strong stance against Trump's suggestion, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying that Canada will not drop French as an official language. The Quebec provincial government has also responded strongly, with Premier François Legault saying that Quebec will not be swayed by Trump's comments. The Léger Association survey found that 71 percent of Quebec residents believe that the province's interests are best served by staying part of Canada. The survey also found that 55 percent of Quebec residents believe that the province's language and culture are not under threat. The results suggest that Quebec nationalists may be facing an uphill battle in their quest for independence. The movement for Quebec's independence has been a contentious issue in Canada for decades, with pro-independence activists arguing that the province needs to be free from the rest of Canada to preserve its language and culture. However, the recent survey suggests that Quebec residents may be rethinking their support for independence. The Canadian government has also taken steps to promote French as an official language, including increasing funding for French-language education and promoting French-language services. The Quebec provincial government has also taken steps to promote French, including making it easier for immigrants to learn the language. The Léger Association survey was conducted from February 7 to 10, and it involved 1,000 Quebec residents.

·hani.co.kr

Some in CRA, CDP Call for Pushing Back Merger with Komeito

Tokyo, Aug. 26 (Jiji Press)--Some members of the Centrist Reform Alliance and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan are calling for moving back the deadline for concluding talks on the…

  • CRA and CDP face pressure to delay merger deadline with Komeito.
  • CRA members, CDP lawmakers push back on the end-of-month negotiation deadline.
  • Komeito lawmakers demand CRA reps leave CRA if merger talks fail.

·nippon.com

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