A student of the University of Liberia(UL) has emerged winner of the ECOWAS @ 50 Essay Competition organized for undergraduate students in Liberia. Samuel Watkins, a chemistry major at the university, triumphed over a competitive field of 40 applicants drawn from across Liberia’s 15 political subdivisions. He was among 10 finalists shortlisted before emerging as the overall winner. Watkins, following a rigorous evaluation process, secured the top prize of US$1,000 awarded by the Economic Community of West African States office in Monrovia. Speaking to journalists after receiving his award, Watkins described the preparation stage as the most demanding aspect of the competition. "I had to read a lots of documents, I had to watch videos, that was the most challenging part because it took lots of my time.
I wrote the essay in one draft, it took me two to three hours but the preparation of writing the essay, it took me days," he said. He expressed appreciation to ECOWAS for the opportunity afforded to young Liberians. "Want to appreciate ECOWAS for giving me and other candidates the opportunity to participate in this essay competition. Young people are the future of ECOWAS and they should be prioritized." Daniel Isaac was also named second place winner, earning a cash prize of US$700. ECOWAS Highlights Youth Engagement Delivering opening remarks, ECOWAS Special Representative to Liberia, Josephine Nkrumah, underscored the region’s youthful population as a major asset. "In the last eight or so month since we launched the celebration of ECOWAS at 50, some of our programs have been toward the youths to understand their importance to the region," Ambassador said.
According to Ambassador Nkrumah, economic and political stability remain essential pillars for broader international stability. She noted that Liberia reflects a youthful demographic, making youth-centered initiatives a priority for the ECOWAS office. She highlighted several initiatives, including the Made-in-Liberia goods exhibition, youth training programs on accessing finance, business development, and the use of social media for entrepreneurship. "When we talked about economic development, even though the big players will come from places like the mining sector and energy sector are important, the everyday businesses that put bread and butter on the table of families as important and we find it more and more that young people are participating in entrepreneurship in Liberia," Ambassador Nkrumah said. UL President Commends Initiative Also speaking, the President of the University of Liberia, Layli Maparyan, expressed gratitude to ECOWAS for fostering academic excellence among students. "It takes all of us to push them forward. Those of you who are here are the Ambassadors of your peers," Dr. Maparyan said.
