UONGOZI Institute is pleased to announce this year’s Leadership Essay Competition, the eighth since inception (2013). Similar to previous years, this year’s topic aims to solicit thoughts on the theme of the African Leadership Forum (ALF). The essays should respond to the following question:
If you were an African leader, how would you promote African intra-trade to unlock agricultural potential in the Continent?
GUIDELINES
The Competition is open to all African citizens between 18-25 years.
All essays must be typed. The maximum length is two (2) A4 pages. The format shall be of single spaced, Arial font size 11 with page margins of 1 inch (2.54 cm) for each margin, and sent as a Microsoft Word document.
Essays will be judged on the basis of originality, creativity, use of language and appropriateness to contest theme. All essays must be written in English.
PRIZES
A grand prize of USD $2,000 will be awarded to the overall winner. Up to five winners will be selected.
The winners will receive their awards at a prize-giving event, which will be held online during the seventh ALF. The ceremony will be attended by former African Heads of State and other distinguished leaders from the public sector, private sector, academia and civil society. The overall winner will be asked to read the winning essay at the event.
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must be African citizens between 18-25 years.
HOW TO APPLY
Essays should be submitted by email to: submissions@uongozi.or.tz
Applicants must also submit a written Statement of Originality and ownership of intellectual property rights.
The final deadline for submission will be Friday, 10 July, 2020 at 17:00 hours (EAT). The winners will be notified via email in August, 2020. Feedback will not be provided on individual essays.
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
The Leadership Essay Competition is organised annually by UONGOZI Institute to provide a space for the youth of Africa and the next generation of leaders in the region to contribute to important discussions on leadership and sustainable development. Since 2013, seven Competitions have been organised.
TIPS FOR WINNING THE COMPETITION
Need advice on how to write a winning essay? Follow these tips from some of the previous overall winners: Liz Guantai (2016), Victor Azure (2017), Victor Ndede (2018), Panashe Gombiro (2019).
USEFUL LINKS
UONGOZI Blog 
Hello
please how will one go about the ownership of intellectual property right and source/references?
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Hello, I have one enquiry, van I add my references and abbreviations in the header and footer or are they strictly supposed to be written as footnotes at the end of the essay.
Thank you
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Hello Alipo, thank you for your message and interest in Leadership Essay Competition 2020. You may refer to sources by direct quotation ,and/or by citing them as footnotes or endnotes.
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Hi,I’m Okoo Solomon In Uganda, may I know all I should attach on the statement of originality and ownership of intellectual property, and if possible a sample of the previous one from one of the previous winners, thanks.
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Hello Okoo, thank you for your message and interest in this year’s Competition. You may find links to the template of Statement of Originality as well as essays of previous overall winners above, jump to “Useful links”.
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Hello, please I have been trying to get the statement of originality, but whenever I download it, it fails to open. Please, how do I go about it?
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Hello Chi, thank you for your message and we are sorry to hear about your experience. Kindly email us through info@uongozi.or.tz and we will share the template.
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Please I am confused about the Statement of originality, and I need urgent replies…
Is it just one document…can we write it manually?
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Hello Kings, the link to the Statement of Originality is available above (see “USEFUL LINKS”). If you’re unable to download it, kindly email us info@uongozi.or.tz
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Where are we going to write our personal details? Is it going to be on the first page?
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Hello Aremu, thank you for your message and interest in this year’s competition. Please refer to the Statement of Originality template and essays from previous winners above.
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How do i get an intellectual property rights. I don’t quite understand that.
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Hello Christian, the Statement of Originality serves as a declaration that the content is originally produced by the contestant and sources used in the essay have been acknowledged. Please go to “USEFUL LINKS” above to download the template. If you’re having trouble in accessing it, please email us: info@uongozi.or.tz
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please I have a problem, I downloaded the essay of the a previous winner, I saw no address on the essay, but others I did. I fortunately I submitted mine with no address, thinking the statement of originality serves that purpose. please I wish to know what I can do:, allow it like that or re_submit my essay with the address on? I really need help
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Good Day
I just need some clarity on eligibility in the Essay Competition.
If a person is 25 are they eligible. In other words is the age of 18 and 25 included ?
Thank you.
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Hello Edmore, all African citizens aged 18-25 are eligible to apply. If you’re 18 or 25, you’re absolutely eligible to apply. We hope this clarifies. Wishing you all the best.
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Hello, I need to know if the 2 page limit is inclusive of all the essay and the references.
For instance, can my essay be on the first 2 pages then my references and sources are on a 3rd page?
Or must the entire writeup and reference fit into the 2 page limit?
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Hello AJ, thank you for your message and interest in the Competition. Your references must be included in the two pages. Wishing you all the best.
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Are essay that included a 3rd page with reference disqualified from the competition?
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please I have a problem, I downloaded the essay of the a previous winner, I saw no address on the essay, but others I did. I fortunately I submitted mine with no address, thinking the statement of originality serves that purpose. please I wish to know what I can do:, allow it like that or re_submit my essay with the address on? I really need help
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That’s a good move to making the youth think about ways to transforming Africa. However, a lot of us would want to participate but it looks as if the age rang is too limited thereby eliminating some of us in our late 20s from participating.
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That’s a good move to making the youth think about ways to transforming Africa. However, a lot of us would want to participate but it looks as if the age range is too limited thereby eliminating some of us in our late 20s from participating.
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How do we attach our signature into the statement of originality? Also, are we going to submit both the essay and statement of originality together via email?
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Hello Aremu, thank you for your question. We prefer a Statement which is printed and signed but if you’re unable to print, you may use an e-signature. Yes, the Statement should be submitted with your essay. The two documents should be submitted in a single email. We hope this clarifies. Wishing you all the best.
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Hie
My essay shows 2 pages in my word document.
But when I upload it to the browser, it shows 3.
Will I be penalized for this?
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I wrote my statement of originality manually, and signed….
I felt it’s more real, as the downloaded one couldn’t be edited…
I submitted it, attached with my essay
Hope that’s ok
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Please, can the e-signature be in blue colour?
What should be the title name to save our essay?
Are we going to fill in the subject and compose mail column in our mail application?
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Hello Aremu, thank you for your questions. It’s okay to have the e-signature in blue. On essay title, you may refer to essays of previous winners attached in this link: https://uongozi.blog/2020/06/08/uongozi-institute-leadership-essay-competition-2020-now-open/
On what should be the subject line and email content, we leave that to contestants. Wishing you all the best.
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Hellow , i would like to participate am a stunt at mzumbe university in morogoro .can u elaborate more on what is needed
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Dear Nabbosa, thank you for your interest in this year’s competition. All the details on eligibility and how to participate are outlined in the Ad above. Wishing you all the best.
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Is the “date” in statement of originality going to be present date or our date of birth?
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Hello Aremu, thank you for your question. The date should be a current one. Wishing you all the best.
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Are we to include our age in the Statement of Originality?
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Hello Oladokun, thank you for your question and interest in our essay contest. If you wish to include age, you may include it at the top of your essay rather than in the Statement of Originality. Wishing you all the best.
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Greetings! I didn’t put my name in the essay page, but I did so in the body of the mail and the statement of originality as well.
I hope there won’t be consequences? Thank you.
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Hello Glory, that’s fine. Thank you for participating in this year’s competition.
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Good day, please can i send my statement of originality as a PDF file?
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Hello Alex, thank you for your question. It’s okay to submit the Statement of Originality as a PDF file. PNG and JPEG formats are also allowed. Wishing you all the best.
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Thank you.
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Am still finding it hard to open the statement of originality,or can you use this e-mail to send to me if in position please
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Hello Reuben, thank you for your message. We have just responded to your email and shared the template. Wishing you all the best.
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In what format should the statement of originality be submitted?
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Hello Goodluck, thank you for your question. The template for the Statement of Originality is attached in the above Ad, please go to “USEFUL LINKS”. If you’re unable to download it, kindly email us: info@uongozi.or.tz
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Hello Goodluck, thank you for your question. The Statement of Originality may be submitted as a PDF/PNG/JPEG file. Wishing you all the best.
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When editing the margins, do we also put the gutter margin as 1 inch too?
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Hello Grace, thank you for your question and interest in this year’s competition. To answer your question, no, the gutter should be at 0. We advise you to set your margins as “Normal”. This setting fits the description in our guidelines. Wishing you all the best!
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Please, can the references be sent in a separate file different from the essay proper? My references will make my work 3 pages if I add it.
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Hello Chibueze, thank you for your question and interest in this contest. Your sources must be included in the two pages, sorry. We advise you to find a way summarise your sentences/phrases to make a room for your references. Wishing you all the best!
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Hello,
I submitted my essay and later found a minor mistake in it. Can I resubmit it after making the correction?
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Hi, I would like to ask if I can send the article in Microsoft Word 7 format
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Hello Sir/Madam
I mistakenly submitted my entry for the competition to ‘submission@uongozi.or.tz’ instead of ‘submissions@uongozi.or.tz’. I realized it a day after the deadline and have since then resubmitted to the correct address with an apology and reason. What is my fate?
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Are the winners announced?
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Hello Favour, winners will be announced next week.
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Dear Sir/Madam.
I would like to ask in which day next week will winners announced?
The is no a specific day?
Waiting to hearing from you.
Thank you.
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Hello Lihle, thank you for your questions. Winners will be announced next week.
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I am asking there is no specific date next week?
At which date next week maybe 22 July or…….?
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Good day, please have the winners of the essay for 2020 contest been announced?
Sent from my iPad
>
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Does making reference third page disqualifies one ?
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Good day Sir/Ma,
While reviewing my submission, I noticed I accidentally sent a wrong Statement of Originality due to a hurried submission because I got to know about the essay contest few days before the deadline.
I have sent an email containing the corrected copy and I sincerely hope my entry won’t be disqualified due to my error.
Please kindly check the submission email. Thanks for understanding.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Please essays submitted between 17:00pm to 18:00pm (EAT) will be acceptable?
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Morning.
When is the specific date to announce winners?
Or there is no specific Date for the announcement of result?
Waiting to hearing from you.
Thank you.
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If the winners will be notified on the third week of July, What if you are not a winner will you be notified too?
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Waiting for the announcement of winners please.
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Hello, thank you for your message. We are sorry to share that the announcement of winners of this year’s contest has been postponed until next month. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
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Are the winners announced already?
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Dear Njeri, thank you for your question. We are sorry to share that the announcement of winners of this year’s contest has been postponed until next month. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
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Dear Sir/Madam.
When will be the announcement of winners it almost the end of the week?
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Dear Aphile, thank you for your question. We are sorry to share that the announcement of winners of this year’s contest has been postponed until next month. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
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I submitted my essay twice, is it wrong?, Because I made a mistake in the other.
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Dear Sir/Madam,
Please have the winners been notified?
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Dear Comfort, thank you for your question. We are sorry to share that the announcement of winners of this year’s contest has been postponed until next month. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
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Who are the winners of the 2020 edition please.
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Dear Pius, thank you for your question. We are sorry to share that the announcement of winners of this year’s contest has been postponed until next month. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
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Please will l be penalized for submitting my essay differently from my statement of originality with the same email address?
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😑😑
🚶🚶🚶🚶
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When will the winners be announced
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Hi.
When is the announcement of winners in which week and date?
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Are winners already announced?
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Morning
When will be the announcement of winners?
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