LASU Finishes 2nd As U.I Wins 5th Edition of LIVDC 2022

​Ajayi Samiat

The University of Ibadan has been declared winners of the 5th Edition of the LASUSU 2022 Intervarsity Debate Competition (LIVDC) while the hosts, Lagos State University (LASU) as well as Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

U.I emerged the best participants at the competition as they outclassed opposition schools in every category and also produced the best speaker at the event which held at the Buba Marwa Main Auditorium, Ọjọ campus on Tuesday, December 6.

Recall that the debate competition which was divided into 3 stages, kicked off with an Essay writing contest on 26th of November, 2022; then, the semi-finals which held on Monday, December 5 and the grand-finale to round off the event.

Also, recall that for the semi-finals, 9 qualified universities, out of 10, and 3 representatives from each university were to contest for a spot in the finals via the debate and speech round of the competition in which only 4 institutions qualified.

Then, at the finals, the 4 universities namely, University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Olabisi Onabanjo University and the Lagos State University debated on the topics, 

"The Japa Culture a Bane or Bone for Nigerian Development" and "Political Power in the Hands of the Youth," where U.I won the competition and the grand prize of N200,000.

Speaking to ACJ-LASU correspondent, one of the representatives of the University of Ibadan and best speaker of the competition, Goodness Okusanya commended the standards of the competition as he said, "This has to be, by far, the most challenging competition I've been to. The rules of engagement were totally different from what I was used to. So, I'd say it surpassed my expectations".

Goodness Okusanya, a public speaker, art designer and "ardent lover of Jesus" disclosed to ACJ LASU that he had participated in a few other competitions.

He said, "Last year, I competed in the Jaw war competition and was instrumental in winning the trophy for the Faculty of Arts. I was also the most outstanding speaker at the competition last year. Another competition was the Prof. Egbokhare oratory competition where I was first runner up."

Meanwhile, a panel session of the competition with the theme, "Building a Nation of Virtue" engaged lecturers of the Lagos State University (LASU) namely, Dr Ganiu Bamgbose, Mr Niyi Ojemakinde and Dr Jamiu Olakunle Tijani, all of whom spoke passionately on some of the virtues Nigeria needed to prioritize and how to begin to instill them.

Notably, the Lagos State University and Obafemi Awolowo University won N150,000 and N100,000 cash prizes, respectively.