Amadeus University Amizi (AUA), a two-year-old private institution in Amizi, Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, has emerged third overall in the inaugural Virtual Debating Championship organised under the National Universities Commission (NUC) framework and implemented through the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Community Development Service (CDS) initiative.

The competition, preceded by an intensive National Debate Training Programme (NDTP), brought together participants from universities across the country in a virtual contest conducted using the British Parliamentary debating format.

A total of 73 universities from the six geopolitical zones registered for the championship, which focused on the motion: “Whether to Ban Political Parties in Nigeria.” The debate aimed to deepen discourse on governance, national development, and structural reforms.

AUA secured third position through its two Nursing Science students, Excel Okechukwu and Joyce Ikechi, who reportedly had only two days to prepare for the competition.

The initiative was reportedly conceived under the NYSC CDS framework through a corps member serving at the NUC, Jane-Francis Ijeoma Abuta, while its technical coordination was handled by Royal Rhetorics (RR).

Reports indicate that thousands of viewers nationwide followed the virtual competition, with Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, emerging first, the University of Ilorin placing second, and Amadeus University, Amizi, Abia State, taking third position.

Speaking on the achievement, the Vice Chancellor of AUA, Prof. Henry Eke, described the institution’s performance as a reflection of its commitment to critical thinking and academic excellence.

He commended the students and organisers for delivering what he described as a world-class competitive platform aligned with global standards.

Also speaking, the university librarian and debate coordinator, Prof. Ngozi Blessing Ukachi, described the experience as remarkable, noting that the institution was proud of its performance despite competing against older and more established universities.

“We are happy that we participated, and with what we achieved, we hope to do better in the future,” she said.