By Suleiman Sadiya Abdullahi
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| MACOSA students celebrate with awards after winning NASELS-MACOSA Competition. |
The competition, jointly organised by the National Association of English and Literary Students (NASELS) and the Mass Communication Students' Association (MACOSA), aimed to promote friendship, academic excellence, and healthy rivalry among students.
Held at the Abdullahi Smith Lecture Theatre on June 30, 2026, the event featured four categories: quiz, spelling bee, article writing, and debate.
Mass Communication students dominated the competition, winning the quiz, article writing, and spelling bee contests to clinch the Overall Excellence Award. The Department of English and Literary Studies secured victory in the debate category.
Reacting to the victory, MACOSA President, Jimoh Sultan Olamilekan, expressed delight over his department's performance.
"I'm very happy. We set out to win and got three out of four," he said.
"I'm glad we had the opportunity to showcase that our students can excel in competitions like this. We invested a lot into this competition," Olamilekan told ABU Campus Press.
Also speaking, NASELS President Muhammad Kabir congratulated both departments and urged students to remain good ambassadors of the university.
"I wish them all the best and encourage them to be good ambassadors wherever they find themselves. Let them be academically sound and become the true embodiment of ABU's 'Naturally Ahead' motto," he said.
Kabir explained that the competition was conceived to strengthen the existing cordial relationship between the two departments.
"The event was organised primarily to promote the already established cordial interdepartmental relationship between English and Mass Communication. The two departments remain some of the closest in terms of academic activities and future prospects. The Vice President brought the idea and we supported it."
As news of the victory spread, celebrations erupted across the Department of Mass Communication, both online and offline.
One of the participants, Ibiloye Olabisi Olamide, a 300-level Mass Communication student, described the victory as a reward for the team's commitment and preparation.
"I'm super excited that we won," he said. "Our hard work and dedication paid off with the department claiming the biggest title."
For Dada Abigael Abosede, winner of the article writing competition, the moment was one of overwhelming joy and gratitude.
"I am grateful to God for making this possible. Winning did not come from me alone, it is His grace and the support from MACOSA," the 300-level student told ABU Campus Press.
"When my name was called as the winner, I felt so much joy I can't even explain. My heart was full, I smiled wide, and I just kept thanking God. It was a mix of surprise, gratitude, and happiness all at once."
Panel of judges during the NASELS-MACOSA Competition.
Hajara Abdullahi Ometere, a 400-level Mass Communication student and trainer of the participants, recounted the tense moments leading to the victory.
"I was panicking at first because we were going up against students from the English department. You'd expect that these are things they are very familiar with and they might give us a hard time," she said.
"But after we dominated the first round, which was the quiz competition, I calmed down and became more confident. The debate was fierce and I started panicking again, but I am so happy we came out victorious. Our students did their very best and it paid off. I'm also extremely happy because my guidance and that of my co-trainer did not go to waste."
Sharing the perspective of the English and Literary Studies Department, Comrade Aliyu Hassan, a 300-level student, described the competition as one that achieved more than producing winners.
"The competition was initiated not only to unite the two departments but also to revive a sense of academic excellence and student motivation. Surely, the goal was successfully achieved," he said.
"I congratulate MACOSA for winning the competition, and commend the association for the remarkable effort invested in making the event a success."
Beyond determining winners, the competition reinforced values of academic excellence, teamwork, and interdepartmental collaboration. It also highlighted the cordial relationship between the Departments of Mass Communication and English and Literary Studies, while encouraging students to pursue excellence both inside and outside the classroom.