National Bible Competition

       The average Nigerian youth is confused about what life has to offer and is in search for a meaning for his/her life. This search has driven many young people to various forms of social vices.

Three teenage boys have were caught burning the head of a girl, said to be in a relationship with one of them, for money ritual in Oke-Aregba area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital (https://punchng.com/three-arrested-as-teenager-burns-girlfriends-skull-for-money-ritual-in-ogun/). A group of four teenage girls who are said to be students of a secondary school in Lagos have been reportedly caught with human parts concealed inside their school bags for alleged money ritual (https://oasismagazine.com.ng/2022/02/4-female-secondary-school-students-caught-with-human-heads-in-lagos/). Social menaces of this kind are rampant in the country which calls for an urgent intervention.

In the quest to stem the tide of this menace, The Bible Society of Nigeria has initiated a National Bible Competition, the competition is held in all states of the nation and begins at the grassroots level. Participants are selected from local churches and compete in four stages: Auxiliary, Area, Zonal, and National.

The competition is conducted in a written format, with participants studying specific books of the Bible and being tested on their understanding. The 2023 theme is "The Ten Commandments" (Exodus 20:1), and the recommended Bible version is the Contemporary English Version (CEV).

The competition begins at the auxiliary level, with youths from various churches competing against each other. The top three participants move on to the Area level, where they compete against other auxiliary winners. The top three winners from the Area level proceed to the Zonal level, where the best three winners advance to the National level, which is the final stage of the competition. The top three winners receive cash prizes and certificates, while the other three winners receive consolation prizes.