From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
Kwara State, has once again placed Nigeria on the global stage as its junior secondary school debate team, clinched the country’s first-ever gold medal at the 2025 Asia Parliamentary International Debate Competition, held at HELP University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The victorious team, representing the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB), defeated Team Cambodia, in a tension-filled final round.
The global championship featured 16 countries drawn from Asia, Africa, and Europe. The feat was confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday by Atere Aminat Abiola, Press Secretary of KWSUBEB.
Atere described the win as a testament to the brilliance, discipline, and determination of the young debaters. She credited their outstanding performance to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s unwavering investment in basic education.
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“Our students went all out to make Nigeria proud and to appreciate the Governor’s continuous support for quality education,” she said.
She noted that the achievement marks a major highlight for the AbdulRazaq administration as 2025 winds down, adding that Kwara students have continued to excel in both local and international academic contests. “This latest global win has once again placed Kwara and Nigeria in the spotlight of international excellence,” she added.
This historic gold medal is Kwara’s first International Debate Championship title. It comes on the heels of their victory at the 2024 Presidential School Debate in Abuja. The state had also won the national Presidential Debate Championships in 2021, 2023, and 2024, and represented Nigeria at the World School Debate Championship in Singapore in May 2024, where the team reached the quarter-final stage.
Atere expressed gratitude to God for the team’s safety throughout the competition, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to providing equitable educational opportunities for learners across the state.
She further disclosed that Governor AbdulRazaq has approved the participation of Team Kwara in the 2025 edition of the Presidential School Debate of Nigeria, slated to hold from December 14 to 18 in Abuja.
