The Kwara state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, weekend rewarded each of the state’s six public school students who won the presidential debate competition in Abuja with N1m cash gift each.
Similarly, the governor also awarded state scholarship for their undergraduate studies in any discipline.
The governor who hosted the students to a reception in Ilorin, called them the pride of the government and people of Kwara state, commending them for their impressive outing.
“I congratulate you for doing exceedingly well. The state is proud of you, as you carry the flags as ambassadors of the state. You will now become ambassadors of Nigeria when you go to Serbia (Europe) to represent the country,” the governor said on Friday at the reception for the children, their parents, and SUBEB management team in Ilorin.
He also thanked their parents, teachers and leadership of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB) for their roles in the feat.
Kwara recently won the 63rd edition of the presidential debate in Abuja for the second time in a row, asserting its leadership in the competition, which involves participants from the states of the federation.
Kwara had also won the last edition of the speaking contest in 2021 in Lagos, with the winners similarly accorded a state reception by the governor, cash rewards, and university scholarship.
The victory in Lagos saw Kwara representing Nigeria at the international debate competition in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
With their latest victory, they will now represent Nigeria at the World school debate championship in the Republic of, Ilorin, by the chairman, Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Professor Sheu Raheem Adaramaja, who also came home with an award of being the best SUBEB chairman in Northern Nigeria.
The debate team, which comprised exclusively students from public schools, include Mashood Kamaldeen (Government Secondary School, Ilorin East LG), Jatto Ramatallahi (Offa Grammar School, Offa), Jimoh Abayomi Emmanuel (Tanke Community Junior Secondary School, Ilorin South), Emmanuel Chioma (St. Anthony Junior Secondary School, Ilorin East), Dolapo Mariam Jato (Offa Grammar School, Offa) and AbdulKareem Uswat ( Okelele Junior Secondary School, Ilorin East).
