Nigeria’s brightest young minds now have a powerful new stage to shine.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has officially opened entries for the 2025/2026 Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Literary Competition, a nationwide contest designed to encourage innovation, creativity and forward-thinking among Nigerian children and youths.

The competition, which started on 21 November 2025, will run until 28 February 2026, with online submissions accepted across three categories: Essay, Poetry and Art.

This year’s edition was launched on the directive of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, as part of NAF’s commitment to nurturing young talents and promoting strategic thinking about Nigeria’s future in air power and technology.

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Theme for 2025/2026

All entries must be based on the official theme:

“Optimising Emerging Technologies for Enhanced Air Operations.”

Participants are expected to interpret this theme in line with the NAF Day 2026 focus, which guides all essays, poems and artworks. Submissions that fail to reflect the theme risk being disqualified.

Who Can Apply?

The competition is open to Nigerian pupils and students across three education levels:

School Level	Age Group	Category
Primary School	5–11 years	Art
Secondary School	12–17 years	Poetry
Tertiary Institution	18–24 years	Essay

Each applicant must apply only under the category that matches their age and school level.

General Submission Requirements (All Categories)

All applicants must upload the following:

• A valid phone number and email address
• A passport photograph (jpg, jpeg, or png, maximum 150KB)
• A PDF file of their entry (maximum 1MB)

These size and format limits are strictly enforced on the submission portals.

CAS Essay Competition (Tertiary Institutions)

Who Can Apply

• Nigerian students aged 18–24 years
• Must be in a tertiary institution

Essay Rules

• Topic must be derived from the NAF Day 2026 theme
• Must be original
• Maximum length: 2,000 words

Submission

• Upload via the CAS Essay submission portal
• Deadline: 28 February 2026
• File format: PDF (max 1MB)
• Passport photo: jpg/jpeg/png (max 150KB)

Prizes

• 1st Prize: ₦2,000,000
• 2nd Prize: ₦1,500,000
• ???? 3rd Prize: ₦1,000,000

CAS Poetry Competition (Secondary Schools)

Who Can Apply

• Nigerian students aged 12–17 years
• Must be in secondary school

Poetry Rules

• Must align with the NAF Day 2026 theme
• Must be original
• Must be written in English
• Maximum length: 300 words

Submission

• Upload via the CAS Poetry submission portal
• Deadline: 28 February 2026
• File format: PDF (max 1MB)
• Passport photo: jpg/jpeg/png (max 150KB)

Prizes

• 1st Prize: ₦1,500,000
• 2nd Prize: ₦1,250,000
• 3rd Prize: ₦1,000,000

CAS Art Competition (Primary Schools)

Who Can Apply

• Nigerian pupils aged 5–11 years
• Must be in primary school

Artwork Rules

• Must align with the NAF Day 2026 theme
• Must be original
• Must be a painting or drawing
• Must include a short caption or title

Submission

• Upload via the CAS Art submission portal
• Deadline: 28 February 2026
• File format: PDF (max 1MB)
• Passport photo: jpg/jpeg/png (max 150KB)

Prizes

• 1st Prize: ₦1,000,000
• 2nd Prize: ₦750,000
• 3rd Prize: ₦500,000

How to Apply

All entries must be submitted online through the official CAS Literary Competition website, which provides separate portals for:

• Essay
• Poetry
• Art

Applicants are advised to carefully read the full guidelines before submitting.

Why This Competition Matters

Beyond the prize money, the CAS Literary Competition is designed to:

• Promote strategic thinking among Nigerian youths
• Encourage interest in science, technology and air operations
• Discover and reward creative talents across Nigeria

For many young Nigerians, it is also a chance to gain national recognition and add a prestigious achievement to their academic and creative profiles.

Final Deadline

All entries must be submitted on or before 28 February 2026.

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