Undergraduates from Lagos State University have emerged as the winners of the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) Youth Leadership Debate Competition.
The Youth Leadership Debate is an initiative of the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF), a collaborative project of the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Luminate, administered by LEAP Africa.
This inter-university debate serves as a platform for holistic support to harness the voices of young people towards national development and provide capacity building to selected individuals across tertiary institutions in Nigeria. It also aims to unite young people through constructive dialogue and mainstream their voices for the realisation of the #NigeriaWeWant.
The debate competition, which started in September, had entries from 27 private and public tertiary institutions across the country. These teams engaged in discussions on relevant issues and raised their voices for social change.
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With quarter-finals held across the country at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria for the northern region and the University of Benin for the southern region, six teams successfully advanced to the semi-finals held at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.
The finalists were Lagos State University and the Federal University of Technology Akure.
Speaking at the finale, Senior Programmes Coordinator for the Youth Leadership Debate Competition, Joy Amanabo, expressed pride in LEAP Africa’s contribution to raising young advocates who will confidently advocate for structural and policy reforms. She thanked all resource persons who served as coaches, mentors, and judges for their contributions to this immense success.
Project Director of NYFF, Dr Elisabeth Agbiti-Douglas, stated, “This competition not only showcases the talent and potential of our youth but also emphasises the importance of dialogue in shaping a better future for Nigeria. We are committed to empowering these young leaders to continue their advocacy beyond this platform.”
The winning team from Lagos State University expressed their excitement about participating in the competition and highlighted how the training received has significantly enhanced their policy analysis, research, public speaking, and leadership skills. The first runner-up was the team from the Federal University of Technology Akure, while the second runner-up was from Benue State University.
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