For many children, learning to communicate confidently requires more than classroom lessons. It takes practice, encouragement and opportunities to stand before others and find the confidence to speak.

That is the idea behind The Elocution Bee (TEB), an initiative of Right English Pro Educational Concepts (REP), an education and communication organisation focused on diction, phonics, elocution and public speaking.

Over the years, REP has worked with more than 60 schools and reached over 10,000 learners through its programmes. Its work has also expanded through online coaching, enabling the organisation to reach learners and audiences beyond Nigeria.

The Elocution Bee brings that work into a competitive environment where children can practise and demonstrate their communication skills.

The concept is simple. Children learn more effectively when they have opportunities to apply what they are taught. Pronunciation can be taught in a classroom, but standing before an audience and clearly pronouncing unfamiliar words requires preparation, concentration and confidence.

Participants in The Elocution Bee prepare across different areas, including pronunciation, vocabulary, listening and oral expression. They must also learn to manage the nerves that naturally come with speaking before an audience.

Those lessons can extend beyond the competition.

A child who learns to organise thoughts and deliver answers confidently may become more comfortable participating in class discussions. Another who learns to remain composed while addressing an audience may carry that confidence into presentations, interviews and leadership opportunities later in life.

For REP, that practical application is central to the purpose of the Bee.

The first edition of The Elocution Bee was held on December 13, 2024, attracting 100 participants. The competition provided young learners with an opportunity to test their communication abilities while applying skills developed through their preparation.

The second edition was held on March 27, 2026, in Osogbo, Osun State, under the theme, “My Voice Matters.” More than 100 participants representing over 20 schools took part.

The growth between the two editions has encouraged the REP team and points to continued interest among schools and parents in structured opportunities for children to develop communication skills.

Both editions also received media coverage from the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), helping to introduce the initiative and its participants to a wider audience.

For an initiative built around a straightforward educational objective, that visibility is significant. The Elocution Bee seeks to make effective communication something children can practise, demonstrate and take pride in.

Children are often taught to read, write and solve problems, but communication skills can receive less deliberate attention.

A learner may understand a subject but struggle to explain it. Another may have good ideas but hesitate when asked to speak. A student may know the right words but lack the confidence to use them in front of an audience.

These are skills that can be developed through consistent practice.

By creating an environment where communication is practised and publicly recognised, The Elocution Bee encourages children to take their speech seriously. It also gives schools an opportunity to identify and encourage learners who demonstrate an interest in public speaking and communication.

The competition forms part of REP’s broader work in communication education. Its work across more than 60 schools and with over 10,000 learners provides a network through which the organisation continues to deliver its programmes.

Its online coaching initiatives have extended that reach, connecting REP with learners outside its immediate physical environment and audiences beyond Nigeria.

The Bee offers something different. It creates a shared experience in which children prepare alongside other learners, meet participants from different schools and demonstrate their abilities before a wider audience.

As the initiative looks towards future editions, REP hopes to build The Elocution Bee into a recognised platform for young people interested in communication and public speaking while expanding access to quality communication development.

At its heart, however, the objective remains simple: give children opportunities to speak and help them become better at it.

Confidence does not develop overnight. It grows through practice, encouragement and experience.

The Elocution Bee is creating a space where young Nigerians can find all three.

Right English Pro Educational Concepts is an education and communication-development organisation focused on diction, phonics, elocution, public speaking and related programmes and resources.

REP has reached more than 60 schools and over 10,000 learners through its programmes, while its online coaching initiatives have enabled it to engage learners and audiences beyond Nigeria.

Through The Elocution Bee, the organisation provides young learners with an opportunity to develop and demonstrate their communication skills in a competitive educational environment.