The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has honoured outstanding pupils who emerged winners in the Third Edition of the COAS Literary Competition, reaffirming the Nigerian Army’s commitment to nurturing education and critical thinking among young Nigerians.

The ceremony held at the 4 Special Forces Command in Doma, Nasarawa State, brought together officers, teachers, pupils and parents to celebrate excellence in essay and poetry writing. The nationwide competition, open to pupils and students in Army schools, forms part of activities marking the Nigerian Army Day Celebration and is designed to promote national consciousness, intellectual engagement and youth participation in nation-building.

Represented by the Commander, 4 Special Forces Command, Major General Olurotimi Awolo, the COAS noted that the annual contest has become a platform for young Nigerians to reflect on issues of security, patriotism and peacebuilding through creative writing.

Major General Awolo announced that three pupils from Command Children School, Doma, distinguished themselves at the national level. Aminu Zayyanu took second place in the Primary Essay Category, earning a prize of N250,000. Bright Dorasimi placed third in the same category, receiving N100,000, while Hope Emmanuel secured third place in the Primary Poetry Category, also with a N100,000 prize.

He praised the pupils for projecting the image of Doma Cantonment on a national stage, stressing that their performance showed that Army schools in the area can compete favourably with any school in the country. In addition to the prizes from Army headquarters, the 4 Special Forces Command awarded each of the three winners an extra N100,000 in recognition of their achievement.

Head Leader of Command Children School, Doma, Hyacinth Vincent-Akuba, said the competition ran over several months and demanded discipline and dedication from the pupils. He commended the teachers for investing their time and energy in mentoring the children academically and morally, noting that the results were now visible to the entire nation.

He highlighted the theme of this year’s competition, “The Nigerian Army: The People’s Army, Our Army,” as a reflection of the enduring bond between the military and the wider society.

Speaking on behalf of the winners, Primary 4 pupil Hope Emmanuel thanked the COAS and the 4 Special Forces Command for the recognition, promising that they would continue to work hard and use their education to contribute to Nigeria’s development. She also expressed gratitude to their teachers and parents for their constant support and encouragement.