The President’s School Debate, Nigeria (PSDN), has named the Enugu State Debate Team to represent Nigeria at the World Schools Debate Championship (WSDC) scheduled to take place in Panama in July 2025.
In a letter to Enugu State Governor Dr. Peter Mbah, Usman Muhammad, the Chairman of the National Advisory Board for Presidential Schools Debate Nigeria, conveyed the nomination, which follows Team Enugu’s exceptional performance at the recent secondary school debates, where they achieved the top position.
Dated November 5, 2024, Muhammad’s letter stated, “Congratulations on the outstanding performance of the Enugu State Debate Team at the recently concluded Inter-Secondary Schools 2024 Democracy Day National Debate Championship Finals in Abuja.
“Your State Team’s first-place finish at the National Finals has earned you the honor of representing Nigeria at the upcoming World Schools Debate Championship in Panama in July 2025.
“The WSDC is the premier international gathering for elite school debaters from around the globe.”
The Enugu State contingent, victorious in Abuja, consists of Emmanuella Chukwuma from Holy Rosary College, Chiamaka Okwuibe from Queen’s School, Goodness Chinedu Chiemerie from St. Patrick’s College, and Chibuikem Ukadike from the College of the Immaculate Conception.
The triumphant students attributed their success to Governor Mbah’s significant investment in education, highlighting that Enugu students had been unable to compete in the National Debate Championship for over a decade until the current administration took office.
In September, while welcoming Team Enugu at the Government House, Governor Mbah awarded scholarships up to the university level to the team, along with cash prizes. He emphasized that the team’s achievement in Abuja demonstrated the effectiveness of his administration’s commitment to education, which constitutes 33 percent of the state’s N521.5 billion 2024 budget, the highest allocation in the country.
“When we announced our intention to allocate 33 percent of our budget to education—spending N33 of every N100 on this sector—many believed it was mere rhetoric aimed at gaining public favor. However, we recognized that to achieve a zero percent poverty headcount index, we needed to make radical changes in our educational approach,” Mbah stated.
