Ibadan witnessed an atmosphere that exuded oratory, wit and leadership as secondary school students in Ibadan, Oyo State converged at the Civic Center Ibadan to debate and provide thought leadership on developmental issues that cut across socio-political and economic topics in Nigeria.
The Ibadan Schools’ Debate Competition which held on the 31st of May, 2022 is a unique integrated annual debate and public speaking competition organized by the Black Girl’s Dream Initiative, a not for profit organization based in Ibadan that is focused on gender equality and quality education.
While speaking at the event, the founder of the initiative, Karimot Odebode stated that the project was aimed at empowering teenagers with public speaking skills that would enable them stand shoulder to shoulder with their counterparts across the world.
Karimot while addressing the students, congratulated them for their efforts towards making it to the second cohort of the Black Girl’s Dream Initiative public speaking course while encouraging them to be confident in their own abilities.
Karimot stated further; “The Ibadan School’s Debate Competition is not just a competition, it is a dream. What we are building or more accurately what we have built is a stage for world leaders and I dare say to you today that every student who mounts this stage today is coming.”
A major highlight of the event was the panel session on self esteem as an aspect of national development was held with the range of accomplished speakers such as Tunde Onakoya, Ronke Giwa-Onafuwa and Olamide Akin-Alabi holding sway in the intellectual discourse.
The Ibadan Schools Debate Competition which was the grand finale of a two weeks training that had occurred in nineteen secondary schools in Oyo State with exactly 451 students trained in the art and act of public speaking had Ayodele Ibiyemi, Kawthar Salaudeen, Agboola Elijah, Victoria Adaramola and Neyen Williams as jurors.
The competition which was an expression of wit and oratory was brought to a conclusion as Esther Taiwo of Yejide Girls High School having satisfied and marveled the judges was awarded the winner of the Second Edition of the Ibadan Schools Debate Competition. While Falola Esther Eniola of Oladipo Alayande School of Science and Rasaq Wuraola of St. Catherine School came first runner up and second runner up of the competition respectively. The winners smiled home with cash gifts, laptops and other academic gifts.
The Project Manager, Fatimah Adebimpe highlighted the importance of working together as a team to build worthwhile projects towards societal development. She expressed her appreciation to the volunteer trainers, volunteers, and sponsors of the project towards ensuring the success of the project.
Fatimah while expressing her gratitude to the sponsors stated that it was necessary for corporate organisations to continue to key into human capital development projects such as the Ibadan Schools’ Debate Competition.
The event was sponsored by First Bank of Nigeria, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Weeldrop Petroleum, HP, and Nigerian Breweries and was supported by the Oyo State ministry of education, science and technology had over two hundred students from across eighteen secondary schools in Ibadan in attendance.
