FOI Essay Competition: IPC, MRA Unveil New Deadline For Entries

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja

The International Press Centre (IPC) and Media Rights Agenda (MRA) have extended the deadline for the submission of entries for National Freedom of Information (FOI) essay competition to October 31, 2021.

This is even as the eligibility criteria was expanded to accommodate undergraduates of Mass Communication and Journalism in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria, including monotechnics, polytechnics and universities.

In a statement made available to newsmen by the Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade and the MRA counterpart, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, said the extension and expansion of the entries were intended to accommodate more participants.

They disclosed that every eligible student, who submits an entry for the competition would be rewarded with a set of publications by the two organisations even if the entries were not selected for the ultimate prize.

As part of activities to commemorate the 10th year anniversary of signing the FOI Bill into law by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, both organisations had on September 15, 2021 announced that participants of the competition would be undergraduates of Mass Communications or Journalism in Nigerian universities.

According to them, "The competition is aimed at encouraging mass communication and journalism undergraduates to examine the impact of the FOI Act in enhancing participatory democracy under the topic: “Deepening Democracy, the Impact of FOI Act 10 Years After.”

The winners of the competition will be announced and honoured at a National Freedom of Information awards ceremony, scheduled to hold in Abuja on Friday, 10 December, 2021 in commemoration of this year’s International Human Rights Day.

The competition is organised with support from the European Union through component 4b: Support to Media of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Project.

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