Dr Ibrahim Bangura has announced the National School Essay Competition 2026, inviting students across Sierra Leone to reflect on the role of love, unity and shared values in national development.
In a post on his personal X account, Bangura said the future of Sierra Leone depends on the values instilled in young people today. He presented the competition as an opportunity for students to share ideas on overcoming division and building a stronger nation.
The competition is organised under the DIB Movement and is themed “Love Over Hate: The Gateway to National Development.”
In his message, Bangura encouraged students to see differences not as reasons for division, but as opportunities to strengthen national unity and contribute to the country’s development.
The competition offers cash prizes of up to NLe 40,000, according to the announcement. Entries are expected to be submitted by Friday, 18 December 2026, through the designated email address, loveoverhatesl@gmail.com.
The announcement did not provide a detailed breakdown of the prizes or specify the full submission requirements in the X post.
The competition forms part of the DIB Movement’s engagement with young people around national unity and development. Bangura is associated with the All People’s Congress (APC) and has been pursuing the party’s presidential flagbearership.