From medicine to Oil and Gas: Sultan’s Journey Through NCDMB’s Essay Competition.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) recently announced the winners of its annual essay competition during an award presentation seminar, with Sultan Opeyemi Sonuga, a medical student from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), emerging as the first runner-up.
In an interview, Sultan expressed his gratitude to Allah for the success and revealed what motivated him to participate in the competition. He attributed his achievement to diligence and passion for essay writing, often writing late at night. He shared that most of the scholarship essays he has submitted were written overnight.
Sultan mentioned that he honed his essay-writing skills through group assignments, where he often handled 90% of the paperwork alone. Despite being from a medical background, he described the essay as challenging and recalled the unforgettable moment of being selected among the top fifty participants from thousands of applicants.
Winning a scholarship in the oil and gas sector as a medical student gave him the opportunity to apply what he called a “borrowed law” — drawing parallels between oil sector policies and the medical profession. His research revealed that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010 was established to promote local content, ensuring greater Nigerian participation in operations and service delivery.
He highlighted that, since its enactment, the Act has raised local content in the oil and gas industry to about 55%, creating more income and opportunities. Comparing this to the medical sector, he lamented the brain drain caused by poor income and lack of medical equipment, leading many professionals to leave Nigeria.
He pointed out that there are only 36 neurosurgeons in Nigeria, despite the high number of medical graduates produced annually. Sultan urged the government to give more attention to the medical field by increasing doctors’ salaries and providing adequate equipment, which would help retain skilled professionals.
Sultan also encouraged FUTA Muslim students to actively pursue scholarship opportunities, stating that such engagements help project the visibility and capability of Muslim students in academic excellence.
He further mentioned that the NCDMB has introduced an oil and gas field readiness training program, especially beneficial for engineering students, to help boost career development.
Sultan was applauded for his dedication, excellence, and for raising FUTA’s flag high. He was awarded a laptop and a cash prize of ₦700,000
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Echoing Islam with the pen
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