Adeola Oyinlade & Co. Announces Winners of the 2026 National Essay Competition

After an exceptionally competitive review process, Adeola Oyinlade & Co. is delighted to announce the winners of the 2026 Adeola Oyinlade National Essay Competition for law undergraduates across Nigeria.

This year, we invited law students nationwide to engage with a question that sits at the heart of Nigeria’s digital future: “Freedom of Speech versus Content Moderation in the Digital Era: Striking the Balance in Nigerian Law.” This theme could not be more timely. As Nigeria’s digital space continues to expand, so too does the tension between protecting free expression and curbing the very real harms that come with unregulated online content.

Our entrants rose to the occasion. Submissions flooded in from tertiary institutions nationwide. The standard of legal reasoning, research depth, and originality made this one of the most closely contested editions to date, drawing over a thousand entries.

Selecting the winners from such a strong field was no small task. Our panel of judges brought rigour, fairness, and sharp legal insight to every stage of the evaluation process. We are deeply grateful for the time and care they invested in identifying entries that combined clarity of thought with genuine analytical depth.

We also commend every single participant who submitted an essay. Engaging meaningfully with a subject of such contemporary importance requires intellectual curiosity, discipline, and courage. The quality of submissions received this year reaffirms our confidence in the future of legal scholarship and practice in Nigeria.

As a token of recognition, all participants whose entries complied with the competition guidelines will receive a Certificate of Participation.

To our judges, media partners, and everyone who supported this year’s competition, thank you for helping us deliver another successful edition. We are already looking forward to next year.

Signed,

Management

Adeola Oyinlade & Co.