*L-R: Agaga-Oamen Dave-Wisdom (2nd position from Edo State); Happiness John (First Position from Akwa Ibom); Okunoye Mojolaoluwa Deborah (3rd position from Oyo State), Mr. Gbadega Adedapo, (MD/CEO Accessible Publishers Limited) and other dignitaries in attendance… in Ibadan
LAST Friday, September 18, 2026, marked a significant moment in the 30-year journey of Accessible Publishers Limited as the company hosted the grand finale and prize-giving ceremony of the 2026 Accessible Summer Competition, powered by SmartEdu Hub, its digital School Management and Learning Management System. The event was a celebration of academic excellence, digital innovation and purposeful corporate social responsibility. It also provided a practical demonstration of Accessible Publishers Limited’s 30th-anniversary vision, captured in the theme: “Beyond Print: Scaling Digital Products for Inclusive Publishing.”
The announcement of the winners by Esther Bamgboje generated excitement as the outstanding students were recognised. First prize went to Happiness John, a JSS 1 student of Joy Prime Model Secondary School, Akwa Ibom. She went home with N1 million (One Million Naira) Second prize went to Agaga-Oamen Dave-Wisdom of The Oasis Schools, Ekpoma, Edo State and got N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira). There was a tie in the third Prize, with Daniel Barry Monsigia of Teko School, Rivers State and Okunoye Mojolaoluwa Deborah of Oritamefa Baptist Model School, Ibadan going home with N250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) each.
The grand finale brought together stakeholders from government, education, publishing, technology and the private-school sector, alongside parents, teachers, students, staff and well-wishers.
In his address, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Accessible Publishers Limited, Mr. Gbadega Adedapo, reflected on the company’s three decades of contribution to educational publishing and its determination to remain relevant in a rapidly changing educational environment. He emphasised the importance of innovation and the need for publishing to evolve beyond the conventional printed book. The company’s investment in SmartEdu Hub, he explained, represents part of that evolution, connecting its rich educational-content heritage with the digital needs of schools, teachers, parents and learners.
The message was clear: Accessible Publishers is not abandoning print; it is extending the reach and possibilities of publishing through technology. The technology dimension of the event was presented by the Team Lead of Best Technologies Limited, the technology company responsible for developing SmartEdu Hub, Mr. Mayowa Bernard. SmartEdu Hub seeks to simplify educational processes, improve communication among schools, teachers, parents and learners, and provide a digital platform through which educational content and activities can be accessed more efficiently.
The 2026 Accessible Summer Competition provided a practical demonstration of this vision. According to the Summer Competition Team Lead, Mr. Moses Akintola, the competition was organised as a two-week national academic challenge for students in JSS 1 to JSS 3. Participants competed in Mathematics, English and Science, with questions drawn from the national BECE question bank. The competition recorded an impressive 5,226 participants from across Nigeria, with students participating at no cost.
The geographical spread of participation demonstrated the ability of digital technology to break physical barriers. Students from states including Akwa Ibom, Edo, Rivers and Oyo, among others, competed through the same platform. In effect, SmartEdu Hub created a national digital classroom without physical walls, giving learners from different locations an opportunity to test their knowledge on a common platform.
The winners represented more than individual academic achievement. They reflected the reach of the competition and the opportunity created for young learners to participate in a national digital academic experience regardless of geographical location. In his keynote, the Chief People Officer of Accessible Publishers Limited, Mr. Fola-Akinlose Vincent, placed the competition within the broader purpose of publishing. He drew attention to the human impact of knowledge, emphasising that the ultimate value of a book or educational resource lies not merely in its production but in the minds it reaches and the lives it influences.
A particularly memorable description came from Asiwaju (Dr.) Olukunle Fajobi, who described Accessible Publishers in terms that connected publishing with teaching and learning—reflecting the company’s growing role beyond the production of educational materials. The grand finale demonstrated how Accessible Publishers Limited is positioning itself for its fourth decade. Its traditional publishing heritage remains central, but SmartEdu Hub represents an expanding digital pathway through which educational content, school management, communication and learning activities can be connected.
As the curtains fell on the 2026 Accessible Summer Competition, the applause for the winners carried a message beyond the trophies and certificates. A student from Akwa Ibom State emerged first. Another from Edo State took second place while students from Rivers and Oyo States shared third place. Their success demonstrated what becomes possible when technology is deliberately deployed to widen educational participation and bridge geographical divides. The 5,226 students who participated were themselves part of the achievement.
Photo caption:
From L-R: Agaga-Oamen Dave-Wisdom (2nd position from Edo State); Happiness John (First Position from Akwa Ibom); Okunoye Mojolaoluwa Deborah (3rd position from Oyo State), Mr. Gbadega Adedapo, (MD/CEO Accessible Publishers Limited) and other dignitaries in attendance… in Ibadan
