“My mother advised me not to contest” – 2025 Literacy Challenge winner

The winner of the 2025 edition of The Literacy Challenge, Adongo Naftali Atinga, has revealed that he almost did not participate in the competition because his mother advised him against it.

Adongo, a student of Abe Halperin School in Tamale, emerged victorious at the grand finale of the contest held at the Alisa Hotel in Accra on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

His outstanding performance earned him a GH¢10,000 cash prize, a trophy, and the coveted bragging rights as Ghana’s best Junior High School student.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, August 18, 2025, the young champion revealed that his mother had initially discouraged him from taking part in the competition.

“One day, I was lying in front of the television and I changed it to Channel One TV and I saw the promo of The Literacy Challenge. I asked my mother, and she told me that I shouldn’t contest because there are other big schools in Accra. But I challenged myself, and here we are today,” he recounted.

The only female among the top three finalists, first runner-up Ama Asantewaa Atta-Duncan of Bishop Bowers School, also shared her journey, noting that she was encouraged by her Social Studies teacher to take part despite initial doubts.

“I heard about The Literacy Challenge before we ended our examinations. My Social Studies teacher encouraged us to participate. Initially, I didn’t want to, but I told myself nothing would happen even if I didn’t win. Surprisingly, I made it to the top 10 and ended as the first runner-up,” she said.

Edudzi Kofi Yeborwo from Covenant Presby School placed third. He credited his English teacher for motivating him to join the challenge, despite his initial hesitation.

“My English teacher told us about the competition. I didn’t want to try at first, but he kept pushing. A good number of us took part, and now I am here,” he shared.

This year’s competition, launched on July 10, tasked students with writing an essay on the topic: “In not less than 600 words, discuss the effects of Climate Change on Agriculture in Ghana. What challenges do these effects create for individuals, families, communities, and the nation? Suggest practical solutions to help all Ghanaians mitigate these challenges.”

The annual competition is organised by Citi FM in partnership with Channel One TV, with sponsorship from BEL MOOO and GB Assessment.