Chief Of Army Staff Literary Competition For Nigerians

The Nigerian Army is organising the COAS Literary Competitions 2027 with the theme “The Nigerian Army: Securing the people and promoting development”.

The competitions are open to applicants in Primary and Secondary Schools as well as Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria from Sunday, 1st November 2026 to Monday, 31st May 2027.

Any entry uploaded after the deadline will not be considered. All entries for the competitions MUST be original without any traces of plagiarism. Winners will be communicated to their emails, schools, and published on the webpage.

CATEGORIES

All the categories for the COAS Literary Competitions are open to applicants between the ages of 5 – 11 years (primary schools), 12 – 17 years (secondary schools), and 18 – 24 years (tertiary institutions), respectively. The Categories are as follows:

All entries for the Chief Of Army Staff Essay Competition 2026 will be guided by the following guidelines:

• The opportunity is open to all Nigerian children and youth in primary school (age 5 – 11), secondary school (age 12 – 17), and tertiary institutions (age 18 – 24).

• Application forms must be completed online, printed, duly endorsed and stamped by the Head of School, scanned, and uploaded.

• There are 2 levels of assessment: an initial assessment to shortlist candidates, then a virtual interaction with a team of assessors before final selection of winners.

• An entry found not to be original at any stage will be disqualified.

• All entries may be published in NA journals and periodicals.

SPECIFIC ENTRIES REQUIREMENTS

The specific entry requirements which applicants MUST strictly adhere to for each competition are as follows:

COAS Essay Competition

1. Topic to be coined from the theme.

2. Primary and secondary school essays must not exceed 2,000 words; tertiary institutions 3,000 – 5,000 words.

3. The essay should be the original thoughts of the writer.

4. The completed essay must be uploaded to dcma.army.mil.ng not later than 31 May 2027.

COAS Art Competition

1. Artwork must have a bearing on the theme.

2. Artworks are limited to painting and drawing only.

3. Submit with a short caption.

4. Work must be original and not previously published.

5. Entries are to be snapped/scanned and uploaded to dcma.army.mil.ng not later than 31 May 2027.

COAS Poetry Competition

1. All poems should be original.

2. Any genre is welcome, but the poem must relate to the theme.

3. Maximum of 200 words, uploaded to dcma.army.mil.ng no later than 31 May 2027.

4. All poems must be in the English language.

Winners also receive certificates and are presented with their prizes at a specially organised event.

Primary School

Age 5 – 11 years

1. 1st - ₦1,000,000

2. 2nd - ₦750,000

3. 3rd - ₦500,000

Secondary School

Age 12 – 17 years

1. 1st - 1,500,000

2. 2nd - ₦1,200,000

3. 3rd - ₦750,000

Tertiary Institution

Age 18 – 24 years

1. 1st - ₦2,000,000

2. 2nd - ₦1,500,000

3. 3rd - ₦1,000,000

Click the button below to submit your application.