2025 United Organization for Education and Sports Development (UOESD) National Debating Championship for Schools in Nigeria

Published: 02 Apr 2025

The United Organization for Education and Sports Development, in partnership with the Maurice Akueme Foundation, presents the 12th edition of the National Debating Championship for Schools in Nigeria.

 This prestigious competition aims to foster critical thinking, creativity, and effective communication among students.

Competition Categories and Debate Topics

• Primary Schools: "Schools should be regarded as a more effective agent of socialization than family."
• Secondary Schools: "The Nigerian Government has done more good than harm to its citizens."- 
• Tertiary Institutions: "Africa's underdevelopment is a natural phenomenon rather than a man-made construct."

UOESD National Debating Championship

Application Deadline	September 30, 2025
Country to study	Nigeria
Type	Contest
Sponsor	United Organization for Education and Sports Development (UOESD)
Gender	Men and Women

Benefits of UOESD National Debating Championship

Awards and Honours

Preliminary and Zonal Awards: Participants to achieve achieve any of the under-listed points in this stage receive the relevant medals

• Gold (90-100%)
• Silver (80-89%) 
• Bronze (70-79%)

 National Awards: 

Cash prizes (Overall Winners in all categories)

• Fully funded undergraduate overseas scholarships through UOESD mentorship (Secondary School Winners and Finalists)
•  Fully postgraduate overseas scholarships through UOESD mentorship (Tertiary Institution Winners and Finalists)

Plaque awards 

• Gold , Silver and Bronze Trophies
•  Certificates of Accomplishment Awards 
• Best Speaker's Award (Each from the 3 categories)
• Best Debating Institution Awards (6 schools to reach finals in all categories)

Requirements for UOESD National Debating Championship

Guidelines for Participation 

• Eligibility: Open to all primary, secondary schools, and tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
• Registration: Free registration.
• Team Composition: Primary and secondary schools should form teams of three speakers, while tertiary institutions can have multiple teams of three.

Time Allocation:

• 1st speaker (5 minutes)
• 2nd speaker (3 minutes)
• 3rd speaker (2 minutes)

Selection Process

Competition Timeline 

• Application Deadline: September 30, 2025.
•  Preliminary Round: Schools submit debate videos from March 30th - September 30th
• Zonal Round: October 2025 - March 2026, with competitions held in each of the six geopolitical zones
•  National/Grand Finale: July 2026, where the six zonal winners compete

Application Deadline

September 30, 2025

How to Apply