UNICAL Hosts All Nigeria Universities Debating Championship UNICAL Hosts All Nigeria Universities Debating Championship
Diana Okon-Effiong, Calabar A championship expected to foster the intellectual capacities of students and prepare grounds for budding students’ politicians in Nigerian universities will... UNICAL Hosts All Nigeria Universities Debating Championship
UNICALDiana Okon-Effiong, Calabar
A championship expected to foster the intellectual capacities of students and prepare grounds for budding students’ politicians in Nigerian universities will be hosted by the University of Calabar.
This was disclosed by Prof Eyong Ubana Eyong, the institution’s Dean Students Affairs in an interactive session with journalists in Calabar Tuesday.
The First All Nigeria Universities Debating Championship billed for Oct 20 through Oct. 26 will precede the Sixth Pan-African Universities Debate championship which the university will also host from Nov. 29 to dec8 this year
He said the debate was an all-students affair to promote the culture of debate in our tertiary institution where the culture of listening, dialogue and acceptance of superior argument to change our course of action are encouraged.
He said that the theme of the debate would be “Corruption, Insecurity and National Development’’, to reflect Nigeria’s current challenges.
Also speaking at the occasion, Mr David Ejim, a student debater, said the debate would be recorded and streamed on the social media for students at home due to the current strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Ejim, who will feature in the tournament for UNICAL Debating Club, said the institution is hoping to host to win.
He said that the debate was part of the development of young people in Nigeria and the fact that that no country can develop faster than its intellectual capital which also involves its investments in youths and educational sector.
He said that 11 universities out of the 102 universities across the country had registered for the tournament which would use the British Parliamentary Debate format to encourage critical thinking and discourse.
In his speech, Mr Franklin David, the Chief Adjudicator for the debate said each of the participating institution would present two debating teams and one adjudicator at the championship aimed at developing their training in critical thinking and tolerance of opinion.
“In Nigeria we are used to criticising policies of government, politicians but in this debate we will also not only criticise but proffer solutions.

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