Ruth Okorocha emerges winner of ‘I beg to differ’ debate competition

After weeks of extensive debates on diverse socio-economic and political issues, Ruth Okorocha, a 14-year old student of King’s Way College, has emerged winner of the second edition of Nigeria Info’s ‘I Beg To Differ’ Students Debate Competition.

The competition, which began on March 4, had hundreds of applications from secondary school students between ages 13 to 17. It was aimed at creating an educative platform that encourages youths to hold intellectually stimulating conversations bordering on issues affecting the overall progress of the country.

It was also to develop their intellectual capabilities to critically assess complex socio-economic issues that address national growth and development.

The final lap of the competition, which was aired live on Nigeria Info’s Hard Fact Show, had Ruth defeating Debrah Pamzat, a 15-year-old student of Senior College, Kankon Badagry, after debating on a socio-political topic centred around the need for people to be considered indigenes of their spouse’s state of origin.

Chief Executive Officer of Cool FM, Nigeria Info, and Wazobia FM, Serge Noujaim, congratulated the finalists for their resilience throughout the various stages of the competition.

He said: “I want to congratulate the contestants who have participated at various levels in this competition. I understand that this debate tournament is a challenging one as everyone displayed brilliance throughout the diverse stages. I am, therefore, confident that everyone selected for this context is a winner. This is because providing a platform that grooms the confidence levels of teenagers, who are future leaders, is definitely one of the profound ways of securing the future of our great country.”

As such, I am confident that all the contestants have garnered experiences that will shape their perspectives on socio-political issues going forward,” he said.

An elated Okorocha expressed her appreciation to everyone who assisted her in achieving the feat.

She received N1m cash prize, a laptop, a Chromebook, and a notebook, while the first runner-up, Pamzat received N500,000, a Chromebook, an iPhone, and a tablet.

The second-runner up, Olamilekan Ramadan from Federal Government College, Ijanikin, got N250, 000, a portable speaker, and a tablet.

The debate tournament is a novel initiative from Nigeria Info that strives to develop the intellectual ability of Nigerian youths on a national scale.