BY NEWS EDITOR, NOVEMBER 2, 2026 | 8:24PM
The Nigerian Army has announced the opening of applications for the 4th Edition of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Literary Competitions 2027.
The competition, open to Nigerian children and youth, is themed 'Building Mutual Trust Between the Nigerian Army and the Citizens as a Foundation for National Security.'
According to the Army, the initiative provides a platform for young Nigerians to express ideas, demonstrate talents and contribute to national conversations through creative expression.
The competition categories include:
- COAS essay competition: Open to primary, secondary and tertiary students.
- COAS Art Competition: For original paintings or drawings accompanied by a short caption.
- COAS Poetry Competition: Open genre, with a maximum of 200 words, written in English.
Grand prizes up for grabs range from N500,000 to N2 million across categories.
For Primary School category (Ages 5–11): 1st Prize N1,000,000, 2nd Prize N750,000, 3rd Prize N500,000.
For Secondary School (Ages 12–17): 1st Prize N1,500,000, 2nd Prize N1,200,000, 3rd Prize N750,000.
For Tertiary Institution (Ages 18–24): 1st Prize N2,000,000, 2nd Prize N1,500,000, 3rd Prize N1,000,000.
The Army said entry opens 1 November 2026 and closes 31 May 2027.
Interested participants are to visit http://dcma.army.mil.ng to access full competition guidelines and submit entries online.
'Your ideas matter. Your creativity counts. Your voice can make a difference,' the Army said.