Heirs Insurance Group has announced the commencement of applications for the fifth edition of its annual Essay Championship, a nationwide initiative designed to promote insurance and financial literacy among Junior Secondary School students in Nigeria.
The insurance group said the 2026 edition of the competition will award a total of N11.5 million in prizes to outstanding students, teachers, and schools, as part of efforts to deepen awareness and understanding of insurance from an early stage.
According to a statement issued by the Group on Tuesday, the initiative is also aimed at strengthening insurance education among teachers and encouraging broader conversations around financial security in schools and communities.
Under the competition structure, the overall winning student will receive a N5 million scholarship, while the student’s school will get a N1 million education grant. The first and second runners-up will receive scholarships worth N3 million and N1 million respectively.
As part of efforts to increase early engagement with insurance concepts, the Group said insurance-themed quizzes and educational elements have been incorporated into the application process for participating students.
Participants are expected to submit original essays of not more than 500 words on the topic, “The Power of Insurance in Creating Safer and More Secure Societies.”
The submission portal opened on May 27 and will remain accessible until July 8, 2026, through a dedicated online platform.
Heirs Insurance stated that all entries would be assessed by a panel of respected academics, while Deloitte & Touche would provide independent quality assurance to ensure transparency, credibility, and fairness throughout the selection process.
The Group also disclosed that the Teachers’ Insurance Awareness Prize (TIAP), introduced recently to recognise educators promoting insurance knowledge, will continue in the 2026 edition of the championship.
Under the category, the top teacher will receive a N1 million cash prize, while the winning teacher’s school will get an additional N500,000 grant.
To qualify for the award, teachers are required to execute insurance awareness projects within their schools or communities and submit evidence demonstrating the impact of their initiatives through the competition portal.
Heirs Insurance Group noted that the championship aligns with its broader mission of improving financial inclusion and expanding insurance awareness across Nigeria, particularly among younger generations.
The Group, which is the insurance subsidiary of Heirs Holdings, operates through Heirs General Insurance Limited, Heirs Life Assurance Limited, and Heirs Insurance Brokers.
With operations spanning corporate and retail segments, the company said it continues to expand its digital and omnichannel insurance offerings as part of efforts to democratise access to insurance services across the country.
