Two Students of the Federal University of Technology Akure FUTA, won the top positions in the 2023 Ulefunta Festival Essay writing Competition organized under the aegis of the Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi (Odundun II).
After evaluation by the judges, Oluwabukola Babalola and Alaba Abubakri , from the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science , came First and Second respectively, in the essay competition with the title "Climate Change and Food Security: Roles of rural Communities in Mitigation and Adaptation Measures". 

The organizers received many entries for the essay writing and invited the best of the lot for oral presentation of the essay topic. Five of the six entries which made the final cut were from FUTA students. The evaluators adjudged them to have done justice to the topic saying they underscored the roles of rural communities in mitigating the effects of climate change.

In addition to cash prizes given to all the winners , Oluwabukola Babalola, who came first ,got additional cash rewards including an offer to undertake her National Youth Service Programme at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA) courtesy of the Director General , Dr Halilu Ahmad Shaba, who was the Guest Lecturer at the 2023 Ulefunta Festival Lecture Series.