The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Kogi State Chapter, on Wednesday organized the PROOF Spelling Bee Competition among six schools as part of activities marking the 2026 Children’s Day celebration.
The competition, held in Lokoja, brought together students from participating schools to showcase their spelling, vocabulary and language skills.
Speaking at the event, Justice Ojoma Haruna said the competition aligned with this year’s Children’s Day theme, “One Child, One Word, One Hope.”
Haruna, represented by Magistrate Dorcas Abraham, said every child possesses immense potential and deserves access to quality education.
“Every child carries a future of possibilities, and it is our collective duty to ensure that no child is forgotten, neglected or denied the right to learn,” she said.
The judge said spelling bee competitions contribute significantly to children’s educational development by improving vocabulary, pronunciation, listening skills, confidence in public speaking and overall mastery of the English language.
Also speaking, Justice Maryanne Otaru, a member of FIDA, underscored the educational value of such competitions, noting that they help students gain a deeper understanding of pronunciation and proper language usage beyond merely learning words.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of FIDA in Kogi, Mrs Oluwakemi Omeiza-Usman, said the association chose to celebrate this year’s Children’s Day by highlighting the importance of words and language.
According to her, the competition was organized to promote literacy and encourage language mastery among young learners.
“We organized this competition because we believe that mastery of language is key to unlocking a world of opportunities.
“In an era dominated by shorthand and autocorrect, we are bringing back the lost art of deep reading, focus and orthographic precision,” she said.
Omeiza-Usman disclosed that the competition was solely sponsored by Prince Olatunji Olusoji, Chairman of the Prince Olatunji Olusoji Foundation (PROOF).
At the end of the keenly contested event, GYB Model Science School emerged overall winner, clinching top honors among the six participating schools.
The organizers expressed optimism that the competition would continue to inspire academic excellence and promote literacy development among children across the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other participating schools were Majesty International School, Crowther Memorial School, Muslim Community School, Bishop Delisle College and Eagles Academy. (NAN)
