Enugu to represent Nigeria at world schools debate championship in Panama

The Enugu state debate team will represent Nigeria at the World Schools Debate Championship (WSDC) to be held next year in Panama.

In a letter to Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu, Usman Muhammad, chairman of the national advisory board of the presidential schools’ debate, said the state was recommended to represent Nigeria in Panama after its impressive performance at the last competition in Abuja.

“This is to congratulate you on the spectacular performance of the Enugu state debate team at the recently concluded inter-secondary schools 2024 democracy day national debate championship finals in Abuja,” the letter reads.

“It is as a result of your state team’s first position at the national finals that the state has been nominated to represent Nigeria at the upcoming World Schools Debate Championship in Panama in July 2025.

“WSDC is the highest international world school debate congregation for top debaters, globally.”

Emmanuella Chukwuma of Holy Rosary College, Enugu; Chiamaka Okwuibe of Queen’s School, Enugu; Goodness Chiemerie of St. Patrick’s College, Emene, Enugu; and Chibuikem Ukadike of the College of the Immaculate Conception, CIC, Enugu, represented the state at the national debate championship.

Mbah, who awarded cash and scholarships up to university level to the representatives at the competition, said the team’s victory in Abuja showed his administration’s investment in education is paying off.

“When we made the pronouncement that we were going to spend 33 percent of our budget on education; that for every N100, we will spend N33 on education, a lot of people thought it was mere posturing or perhaps to earn public acclaim,” Mbah said while receiving the students in Enugu.

“But we knew that if we are to achieve a zero percent poverty headcount index, we must do something that is radical in our education sector.”