Barely two years after opening its doors, Amadeus University, Amizi, Abia State, has earned national attention after emerging third overall in the inaugural Virtual Debating Championship organised under the National Universities Commission framework and implemented through the National Youth Service Corps Community Development Service initiative.
The competition, which followed an intensive National Debate Training Programme, brought together universities from across the country in a virtual contest conducted using the British Parliamentary debating format, exposing students to structured argumentation, critical reasoning and public policy discourse.
A total of 73 universities from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones participated in the championship, which focused on the motion: “Whether to Ban Political Parties in Nigeria.” The debate sought to stimulate national conversations around governance, democracy, development and institutional reforms.
Representing Amadeus University were two Nursing Science students, Excel Okechukwu and Joyce Ikechi, who secured the institution’s third-place finish despite reportedly having only two days to prepare for the contest.
The initiative was conceived under the NYSC CDS framework through a corps member serving at the National Universities Commission, Jane-Francis Ijeoma Abuta, while technical coordination was handled by Royal Rhetorics.
According to reports, thousands of viewers across the country followed the virtual championship, with Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, emerging first, the University of Ilorin placing second, while Amadeus University claimed third position.
Reacting to the feat, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Henry Eke, described the achievement as a reflection of the institution’s commitment to academic excellence, critical thinking and intellectual engagement.
He commended the students and organisers for creating what he described as a world-class platform aligned with international debating standards.
Also speaking, the university librarian and debate coordinator, Prof. Ngozi Blessing Ukachi, described the experience as remarkable, noting that the institution remained 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.
Credit: TheGuardian
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