GSS Karu Wins Abuja Debate, Takes N3m Prize

Government Day Secondary School, Karu, has emerged winner of the Abuja Season 3 grand finale of the “I Beg to Differ” debate competition, clinching a cash prize of N3million.

The competition, organised by Nigeria Info FM Abuja and sponsored by KIRA Ai, drew top secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory, showcasing critical thinking, public speaking and civic engagement.

Speaking at the event, the programme manager of Nigeria Info FM Abuja, Swat Duniah-Adalumo, described the season as impactful and innovative.

“It has been quite an interesting journey for us. For the most part, it was engaging and driven by teamwork. I must appreciate my team for coming together to develop new ideas for this season,” she said.

She noted that the organisers introduced a school-based format to deepen participation.

“For this edition, we made it school-centric, unlike previous editions that focused on individual students. We wanted schools themselves to have a stake in the debate, and this is something we are determined to sustain,” she added.

Duniah-Adalumo said the initiative was helping to shape young minds intellectually and prepare them to contribute meaningfully to society.

Also speaking, the chief executive officer of KIRA, Obiechina Emmanuel, said the organisation sponsored the programme to encourage young Nigerians to embrace debating and STEM-related pursuits.

“I have always been involved in debating from my early school days, so when I heard about this programme, I saw it as an opportunity to encourage younger ones to participate.

“I was very impressed with how the competition went. I am happy for the winners and even those who didn’t win, because they all performed excellently,” he said.

He added that the sponsorship was aimed at inspiring young people to engage in intellectual activities beyond the classroom.

Reacting to the victory, a student of Government Day Secondary School, Karu, Majesty Joseph, attributed the success to rigorous preparation.

“We are grateful to the organisers. A lot of preparation went into this for us to emerge winners of the competition

“Our next focus is the Lagos stage and we are confident that we will come out victorious,” he said

Fountain School, Jikwoyi, emerged second, winning N2million, while Government Science Secondary School, Maitama, secured third place with a prize of N1million.

The “I Beg to Differ” debate initiative is a flagship youth-focused programme designed to promote critical thinking, communication skills and civic consciousness among secondary school students in Nigeria.