Anambra student tops 2026 national head girl competition

Jane-Frances Chiamaka Gabriel of Queen of the Rosary College Onitsha has been declared winner of the 2026 National Head Girl Competition organised by the Women in Leadership Advancement Network (WILAN Global).

She won ₦1m and a brand-new laptop at the grand finale at Alliance Française in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Fetuga Ameerah of the International School, University of Lagos was second and got N750,000 while Oritsematosan Jackson of Royal Family Academy, Abuja finished third going home with N500,000.

Organised by WILAN Global, the National Head Girl Competition is an innovation and leadership platform for head girls across Nigeria.

It provides participants with an opportunity to demonstrate their leadership abilities, develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges and showcase their capacity to contribute meaningfully to their communities.

Gabriel clinched the top prize with an innovation that uses plantable pencils made from recycled paper to teach children about climate change.

She won a multi-stage selection process that saw her advance from an initial pool of applicants to the top 16 contestants, then the top eight, before securing a place among the final three.

Her progression earned an all-expenses-paid trip to Lagos, which she undertook alongside the school’s principal, Reverend Sister Maria Chijioke Nwankwo, for the grand finale.

At the final, she competed against some of Nigeria’s most promising young female student leaders while presenting her innovation as a practical way to introduce environmental awareness to children while encouraging sustainable habits from an early age.

Gabriel said: “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.’’