About 230 universities are expected participate in the 10th edition of the All Nigerian Universities Debating Championship scheduled to hold at Veritas University, Abuja from August 27 to September 3, 2023.
The decade long event open to all tertiary institutions be it faith-based, public, private, state-owned or polytechnic, is designed to stimulate students’ intellectual agility, their capacity for contemporaneous qualitative thinking, public speaking as well as advocacy skills, with the aim of grooming tomorrow’s youthful leaders. There are also trophies and certificates for the Best Speaker, Best Debater and Best Higher Institution at the event.
Contrary to the usual form of debating whereby students are presented a topic to research, study and present, the All Nigerian Universities Debating Championship operates in the British Parliament style, whereby members address rising or topical issues on the spot.
“Rather than actually giving people what they will go back to their tutors to prepare speeches for them to come deliver, you get them onstage and give them 15 minutes to talk, without access to internet or help of any sort,” said the championship convener, Mr Ocheido Adah.
“When faced with difficulties in the future, this experience trains them to constantly reach into the deepest part of their thought processes to bring forth something useful, which is very important for their growth.
“So, when you interact with the debater in the future, you find that if he or she is able to say 10 things, eight out of them will be meaningful.”
Comparing the championship to the All Nigeria Universities Games, the event organisers said similar support lent to the games and other sporting events should be given to the debating championship, as it offers students a different kind of learning that they don’t receive within the four walls of a classroom.
Consequently, the championship has sought the support of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to establish debating as a general course in universities, in addition to appealing for funding from the Tertiary Universities Fund (TETFUND) and corporate institutions.
“This is a background for advocacy. It is good for NUC to ensure every university adopts it (debate) because of the benefits of the exposure it offers students. The conversation is ongoing with NUC but we are hoping in the future it will come to advise universities to adopt debating as a core curricular activity.
“We have also reached out to TETFUND, and we are hoping that they will buy into the idea and understand that this is an essential part of the university system, and that funding it will be as good as funding tertiary education in its entirety,” said Chairman, Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the championship, Dr Victor Odoeme.
Urging his contemporaries in universities across the country to participate, President, Student Union Government (SUG), at Veritas University, Edi Monkpe said, “Education does not end in the classroom. The debate is also a
medium of teaching and learning. One will have the opportunity to learn how to speak, to stand out in society, and also equip their level of reasoning.”
“This is the first time the debate is coming to the north. I urge government to pay attention to the championship as they do to football and other sports in the country. I further urge undergraduates in universities across the country to attend as adequate arrangement has been made to provide security for participants and visitors,” said the Director of Development, Veritas University, Reverend Father, Dr Martin Onukwuba.
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