Deadline: July 15, 2022
Applications are open for the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) Youth Leadership Debate Competition 2022. The 2022 Youth Leadership Debates is about giving confidence to your voice; leveraging your voice as an effective tool to bring about a transformed Nigeria.
The goal of the Youth Leadership Debate Competition is to provide capacity building to select young people across tertiary institutions and support them to critically evaluate information, to advocate from the point of knowledge, and to collectively shape their vision for Nigeria, hence equipping them to be active citizens.
Program Details
Institutions of higher learning have a leading role in providing solutions to myriad of challenges facing the economy and shaping the economy through cutting edge research and innovative activities. Hence, the universities should serve as a hub where young people are provided holistic and robust support, engaged in intellectual debates that have national relevance and young people are empowered to solve socio economic issues.
Hence, the goal of the Youth Leadership Debates competition is to provide capacity building to select young people across tertiary institutions and support them to critically evaluate information, to advocate from the point of knowledge, and to collectively shape their vision for Nigeria, hence equipping them to be active citizens. The programme will engage university and tertiary-level students across the six geo-political zones in Nigeria through an online campaign and campus tour that will foster policy debates on key socio economic issues and inspire active youth participation in electoral and decision-making processes – especially in light of the 2023 general elections. The debates will be centered around the theme #TheNigeriaWeWant.
Prizes
- 1st prize: N1,500,000; a laptop for each member of the team + other benefits.
- 2nd prize: N1,000,000; tablets for each member of the team + other benefits.
- 3rd prize: N600,000; a phone for each member of the team + other benefits.
Eligibility
- Open to young people in tertiary institutions across Nigeria;
- Debate entries should be focused on the following thematic areas:
- Employment and Education
- Media, Sport and Entertainment
- Health
- Peace building and Security
- ICT and Entrepreneurship
- Climate Change and Environment
- Civic participation
Nuggets for the Parliamentary Debate Style
- The Parliamentary Debate Style is quite distinct from the conventional style of debates adopted in Nigeria.
- Extensive research is required to convince the judges of the merits of your position.
- The initial salutations popular in the conventional style of debating are omitted in the Parliamentary style. Debaters are supposed to introduce themselves and continue with their motion.
- Debaters may request a Point of Information (POI) to contest or seek clarity for a statement made by a member of the opposing party
- For the purpose of the entry videos, applicants are encouraged to speak in anticipation of a rebuttal from an opposing party.
- In the parliamentary style, debating teams have the opportunity to present opening and closing arguments.
Application
- A team of 3 to 4 students from same tertiary institution apply by sending in a video of not more than 5 mins with 2 debaters addressing any socioeconomic issue from the 7 thematic areas.
- Video should be uploaded on any social media platform, and the link to the video should be provided on the application form.
- Evidence, such as course forms, of each team member enrolled in the institution would be required.
For more information, visit NYFF Debate Competition.
