Application Deadline: Tuesday, 31st March 2026
LOCATION: Nigeria
The Nigerian Army is organising the COAS Literary Competitions 2026 with the theme “The NA: The People’s Army, Our Army”. The competition is open to applicants in Primary and Secondary Schools as well as undergraduates in Nigeria from Monday, 11th August 2025 to Tuesday, 31st March 2026.
All the categories for the COAS Literary Competitions are open to applicants between the ages of 5 and 11 years (primary schools), 12 and 17 years (secondary schools), and all ages (undergraduates), respectively. The Categories are as follows:
COAS Essay Competition
COAS Art Competition
COAS Poetry Competition
ELIGIBILITY:
All entries for the COAS Literary Competitions 2026 will be guided by the following guidelines:
Application forms for primary, secondary and undergraduates must be completed online, printed, duly endorsed and stamped by the Head of Schools, scanned and uploaded.
There would be 2 levels of assessment. An initial assessment to shortlist successful candidates while the second would be virtual interaction with a team of assessors before final selection of winners.
At any stage of the screening processes, entry that is discovered not to be original will be disqualified from the competitions.
All entries may be published in NA Journals/Periodicals.
The specific entries requirements which applicants MUST strictly adhere to for each competition are as follows:
COAS Essay Competition:
Topics to be coined from the theme (“The NA: The People’s Army, Our Army”).
Length of the essay for primary and secondary schools should not exceed 2000 words while those for tertiary institutions should be between 3000 – 5000 words.
Essay should be the original thoughts of the writer.
COAS Art Competition:
Artworks must have bearing with the theme (“The NA: The People’s Army, Our Army”).
All artworks are limited to only painting and drawing.
The artwork should be submitted with a short caption.
Submitted works must be the original works of the artist and should not have been published.
Entries are to be snapped/scanned and uploaded not later than 31st March, 2026
COAS Poetry Competition:
All poems should be original.
Poems can belong to any genre but must be related to the theme of the competition.
Poems are to contain a maximum of 200 words.
All entries must be in the English Language.
BENEFIT:
The winners of the COAS Literary Competitions 2026, will be issued with appropriate certificates and cash prizes as follows:
COAS Essay Competition:
Ages 5 – 11 Years. (Primary):
1st Position – N250,000.00
2nd Position – N100,000.00
3rd Position – N50,000.00
Ages 12 – 17 Years. (Secondary):
1st Position – N600,000.00
2nd Position – N250,000.00
3rd Position – N100,000.00
All Ages (Undergraduate):
1st Position – N1,000,000.00
2nd Position – N500,000.00
3rd Position – N200,000.00
COAS Art Competition
Ages 5 – 11 Years. (Primary):
1st Position – N250,000.00
2nd Position – N100,000.00
3rd Position – N50,000.00
Ages 12 – 17 Years. (Secondary):
1st Position – N600,000.00
2nd Position – N250,000.00
3rd Position – N100,000.00
All Ages (Undergraduate):
1st Position – N1,000,000.00
2nd Position – N500,000.00
3rd Position – N200,000.00
COAS Poetry Competition
Ages 5 – 11 Years. (Primary):
1st Position – N250,000.00
2nd Position – N100,000.00
3rd Position – N50,000.00
Ages 12 – 17 Years. (Secondary):
1st Position – N600,000.00
2nd Position – N250,000.00
3rd Position – N100,000.00
All Ages (Undergraduate):
1st Position – N1,000,000.00
2nd Position – N500,000.00
3rd Position – N200,000.00
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