Michael Olagunwa, a 500-level Law student at the University of Ibadan, has won the DealHQ Partners Undergraduate Essay Competition 2026, a Pan-African competition for 300- to 500-level law students from accredited universities across Africa.
The winners were announced by DealHQ Partners on its official social media pages on Monday, July 20, 2026.
Participants wrote on the topic: “From Barrels to Bytes: Using AI to Re-engineer the Risk Equation in Africa’s Energy Sector.”
According to the organisers, students from six African countries took part in the competition: Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, South Sudan, and Ghana.
Younggreen Peter from Kabarak University, Kenya, came second, while Ernest Enobong from the University of Lagos finished third.
Michael said he almost did not apply because he knew the competition would attract many brilliant law students from across Africa. However, after a friend encouraged him to apply, he decided to participate.
He also said that making the top 10 already felt like a big achievement, and he was grateful to emerge as the overall winner.
The winners received the cash prize of $500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place.
