12th National Debating Championship for Schools in Nigeria – Organized by UOESD & Maurice Akueme Foundation

This prestigious competition aims to foster critical thinking, creativity, and effective communication among students.

Competition Categories and Debate Topics

1. Primary Schools: "Schools should be regarded as a more effective agent of socialization than family."
2. Secondary Schools: "The Nigerian Government has done more good than harm to its citizens." -
3. Tertiary Institutions: "Africa's underdevelopment is a natural phenomenon rather than a man-made construct."

Eligibility Criteria for 2025/2026 National Debating Championship

1. Eligibility: Open to all primary, secondary schools, and tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
2. Registration: Free registration.
3. Team Composition: Primary and secondary schools should form teams of three speakers, while tertiary institutions can have multiple teams of three.

Time Allocation:

1. 1st speaker (5 minutes)
2. 2nd speaker (3 minutes)
3. 3rd speaker (2 minutes)

Selection Process

Competition Timeline

1. Application Deadline: September 30, 2025.
2. Preliminary Round: Schools submit debate videos from March 30th - September 30th
3. Zonal Round: October 2025 - March 2026, with competitions held in each of the six geopolitical zones
4. National/Grand Finale: July 2026, where the six zonal winners compete

Benefits of 2025/2026 National Debating Championship

Awards and Honours

Preliminary and Zonal Awards: Participants to achieve achieve any of the under-listed points in this stage receive the relevant medals

1. Gold (90-100%)
2. Silver (80-89%)
3. Bronze (70-79%)

National Awards:

Cash prizes (Overall Winners in all categories)

1. Fully funded undergraduate overseas scholarships through UOESD mentorship (Secondary School Winners and Finalists)
2. Fully postgraduate overseas scholarships through UOESD mentorship (Tertiary Institution Winners and Finalists)

Plaque awards

1. Gold , Silver and Bronze Trophies
2. Certificates of Accomplishment Awards
3. Best Speaker's Award (Each from the 3 categories)
4. Best Debating Institution Awards (6 schools to reach finals in all categories)

How to Apply

The three speakers or their schools are to send the debate videos via WhatsApp to +2348145655819, including school name, student names, State of school location and contact information.

Additional Information

For more information, contact +2348145655819 (WhatsApp) or send email to: uoesdessaycompetition@gmail.com.

For more details, visit UOESD webpage

Application Link(s)

• Apply for 2025/2026 National Debating Championship