The Jim Ovia Foundation has collaborated with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) as co-sponsor for the NSE Essay Competition. In a bid to increase financial literacy and youth empowerment towards ensuring a financially enlightened Africa, the Jim Ovia Foundation has committed ₦10 million in support of the 2018 event for Senior Secondary School students.
The first-three winners are usually awarded equity investments in companies quoted on the NSE, scholarships for university education and laptops. Their respective schools also get personal computers and printers. In addition, seven national winners are rewarded with consolation prizes.
The NSE Essay Competition has been in operation since 2000 and has inspired over 15,000 young persons in over 2,000 secondary schools across Nigeria. The competition tests students on their knowledge of financial and capital markets. The goal of the NSE Essay Competition is to inculcate the culture of financial shrewdness among Nigerian youth.