Two LAUTECH students win N20m in NOA campus debate competition

Two students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso, Oyo state have won the 2024 National Orientation Agency (NOA) campus debate competition.

The students are Adekunle Ayomide and Oladeji Oluwashina.

The competition, organised by the NOA, saw two university representatives in the six geopolitical zones debate on the topic “Criticising and dissenting peacefully while maintaining love for one’s country”.

The LAUTECH representatives won the debate competition, receiving a prize money of N20 million.

The students received an additional N1 million from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund).

Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and the University of Ilorin were the first and second runner-ups, winning N750,000 and N500,000 respectively.

Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Port Harcourt, Gombe State Polytechnic in Bajoga, and the Institute of Management and Technology in Enugu won the fourth, fifth, and sixth positions respectively.

Speaking during the event on Tuesday, Lanre Issa-Onilu, the NOA director-general, said the debate aims to include the youth in the affairs of governance.

Issa-Onilu noted that criticism is vital to nation-building and democracy, but must be done constructively for the peace and development of the nation.

He congratulated the participants for their well-thought-out strategies in engaging constructively with the government.

“Constructive criticism is not rebellion; it is a cornerstone of democracy and a vital tool for nation-building,” Issa-Onilu said.

“Patriotism is not silence. Loving your country does not mean turning a blind eye to its shortcomings. It means recognising those shortcomings, speaking up against them constructively, and working together to find solutions.”

Akintunde Sawyerr, managing director of NELFund, reiterated the agency’s commitment to ensuring that Nigerian students have access to quality tertiary institutions through the provision of its education loans.