Winners of 2021 Dawn Project Competition receive prizes

The Dawn Project has formally presented the winners of the 2021 poetry and art competition tagged Climate Change: "a view from the heart and eyes" with cash prizes worth over N1million. This took place at a ceremony which held in Lufasi Park, Lagos, recently. 

The winners include, Akaba Bala, John Ibok Moses and Adebo Mayowa, who took the prizes for first, second and third positions respectively in the creative design category; Onoja Alexander Egbe, Anuoluwa Olusegun Soneye and Jennifer Uloma Igwe, who came first, second, and third respectively in the adult category; Victory Ashaka, Hassan Usman Aduragbami and  Chidimma Nicole Nwakeze, who won the prizes for the first, second and third positions respectively in the age 15 to 17 category; and in the 7-14 years old category, Oyinkansola Olateju, Zara Etim-Inyang, and Deborah Silas emerged  the first, second and third place winners in the competition.

Dr. Pamela Ajayi, a Poet and initiator of the Dawn Project, explained how climate change is regarded as the greatest public health challenge of the 21st Century. She further revealed that the winners had earlier been announced at the World Environmental Health Day Webinar tagged - How to make money creating a greener Nigeria where opportunities for growth through the ‘green’ economy was presented to the youths. 

The Honorable Minister for Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,  Mrs Sharon Ikeazor; the Lagos State Commissioner For Health - Prof. Akin Abayomi; the Deputy High Commissioner of UK in Lagos,  Nigeria - DHC Ben Llewellyn-Jones, were among other distinguished speakers present at the Dawn Project's World Environmental Health Day Webinar. It was disclosed that clips from the webinar are being replayed on instagram to enable everyone benefit from the information provided @dawnprojectnetwork.

The Honourable Minister for Environment, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, had earlier commended the Dawn Project for its good works during the Webinar. "Young people are increasingly using the power of their collective voice to advocate, lobby and lead campaigns towards the adoption. of environmentally friendly practices", she said, adding that the Ministry has developed a Climate Change Youth Action Manual as a guide for the youths.

Prof. Akin Abayomi, who also spoke extensively at the Dawn Project Webinar preceding the Winners Prize Presentation, had also commended The Dawn Project while highlighting that the focus "aligns with the Lagos State One-Health Paradigm." The One-health paradigm which was promulgated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is now being adopted by Lagos State believes that human health is directly linked to the health of the environment, he explained.

Speaking at the prizegiving, Mr. Desmond Majekodunmi, expounded on the crisis the Earth is facing but explained that there is hope if immediate action is taken by us all. While Mr Stanley Evans MBE congratulated and commended the winners on behalf of Dawn Project for putting in such excellent efforts in promoting awareness and creating enlightenment around environmental issues in Nigeria.  He disclosed that there were over a thousand entries and the judges had to go through the arduous task of selecting entries that won. Mrs Angela Emuwa, while appreciating the supporters amongst others, gave words of encouragement, enjoining all to participate in the competition next year.

Also present at the Prizegiving were the representative of the General Manager of Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Mrs. Yetunde Atoyebi; Mr. Desmond Majekodunmi, a Dawn Project Collaborator; Mrs. Angela Emuwa, a Collaborator of the Dawn Project; and Mr. Stanley Evans, a Dawn Project Collaborators; student representatives from Dowen College, Westmills British School and Grange College; and Dawn Project supporters and volunteers.

The Dawn Project started as a quest for a dawn of a new consciousness about Climate change and its dangers, with a group of Collaborators to imbue the Nigerian youths with an understanding of how human actions are destroying the planet. The organisation hopes that through its various initiatives and efforts, they will be inspired to take actions to restore the earth.