Jane-Frances Chiamaka Gabriel of Queen of the Rosary College Onitsha has emerged champion of the 2026 National Head Girl Competition, organised by the Women in Leadership Advancement Network (WILAN Global).
She received a money prize of ₦1 million and a brand-new laptop computer on the grand finale held on Tuesday, October 13, at Alliance Française in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Jane-Frances, who represented her faculty within the competitors, clinched the highest prize with an innovation that makes use of plantable pencils produced from recycled paper to show youngsters about local weather change.
Her victory adopted a multi-stage choice course of that noticed her advance from an preliminary pool of candidates to the highest 16 contestants, then the highest eight, earlier than securing a spot among the many remaining three. Her development earned her an all-expenses-paid journey to Lagos, which she undertook alongside the varsity’s principal, Reverend Sister Maria Chijioke Nwankwo, for the grand finale.
At the ultimate, Jane-Frances competed in opposition to a few of Nigeria’s most promising younger feminine scholar leaders whereas presenting her innovation as a sensible approach to introduce environmental consciousness to youngsters whereas encouraging sustainable habits from an early age.
The competitors concluded with Fetuga Ameerah of the International School, University of Lagos, taking second place, whereas Oritsematosan Jackson of Royal Family Academy, Abuja, completed third.
Organised by WILAN Global, the National Head Girl Competition is an innovation and management platform for head women throughout Nigeria. It supplies individuals with a possibility to display their management talents, develop modern options to real-world challenges and showcase their capability to contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Speaking on the varsity’s achievement, the varsity’s principal, Rev. Sr. Maria Chijioke Nwankwo, stated the victory mirrored the varsity’s sustained dedication to getting ready younger women for management, entrepreneurship and the way forward for work.
“Wins like this are not entirely new to QRC. At QRC, we take entrepreneurship education and digital skills training seriously because we believe that girls must be equipped not just to participate in the future economy but to shape it,” she stated.
The principal additionally acknowledged the contributions of lecturers and the varsity’s proprietor, Archbishop Valerian Maduka Okeke, whose assist continues to strengthen the varsity’s dedication to nurturing assured and socially accountable younger leaders.
For Gabriel, the victory supplied a possibility to place her creativity to sensible use and display how younger individuals can contribute to addressing challenges of their communities.
“I am incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity from WILAN Global. I am also deeply grateful to my entrepreneurship education coach and mentor, Mr John Onuigbo, who has helped me understand what is possible and encouraged me to turn my ideas into solutions that can make an impact,” she stated.
