The competition, which began in May 2022, attracted hundreds of applications from secondary school students in Lagos State between the ages of thirteen to seventeen years.

This is in a bid to encourage the educational development of Nigerian youths through a highly-interactive platform that stimulates intellectual conversations around the complex socio-economic issues affecting the growth and development of the country.

The grand finale of the ‘I Beg to Differ’ competition, which was broadcast live on Nigeria Info’s Hard Fact Show, had Esther defeating Hameed Olarewaju, an SS2 student of Rainbow College Day School, Lekki, after debating on a socio-political topic which was entitled “Nigerians Are Getting the Politicians they Deserve.”

Speaking on the successful completion of the competition, Femi Obong Daniels, the General Manager of Corporate Affairs for Cool FM, Wazobia FM, and Nigeria Info, commended the contestants for demonstrating a high level of brilliancy and resilience to pull through the various stages of the competition.

“I want to use this medium to congratulate all the contenders who have pulled through the various stages of the debate tournament. I understand it is not an easy process as you all have been challenged to stretch your intellectual capacity by debating complex socio-economic issues of both national and global importance. I must acknowledge the fact that you all have displayed an impressive level of resilience and I am confident that this debate tournament has impacted you with some positive experiences you are going to cherish as you progress in life,” he said.

Expressing her excitement after emerging as the winner of the competition, Esther Bewaji, expressed her sincere gratitude to everyone who supported her in achieving this level of success.

“I am deeply grateful to everyone who lent a helping hand in diverse ways while I was preparing for this debate competition. I must acknowledge that it was not an easy one as it stretched my abilities in every ramification. I am also grateful to Nigeria Info for allowing me to express my opinion on national and global issues,” she noted.

Esther was awarded a one-million-naira cash prize, a laptop, and a tablet, while the first-runner up, Hameed Olanrewaju, received 500,000 naira, a smartphone, and a tablet. The second-runner up, Qoowiyyah Wuraola Salam, an SS2 student of At-Tanzeel Schools, won 250,000 naira, a Bluetooth speaker, and a tablet.

The “I Beg To Differ” Student Debate Tournament is a youth-led brainchild of Nigeria Info 99.3 FM which aims to develop the intellectual capabilities of Nigerian youth, including their public-speaking skill, through the debate sessions on national and global issues.

This is in a bid to reinforce its longstanding promise to support the development of the nation’s educational ecosystem by creating educationally-led initiatives designed to equip Nigerian youths with the necessary skills needed to aid the development of ground-breaking solutions.

The competition, which is specially designed for secondary school students nationwide, is scheduled to commence in May 2022.

This is to enable secondary school students between the ages of thirteen to seventeen years to demonstrate their intellectual ability to critically assess issues of both global and national importance.

Speaking on the commencement of the third episode of the competition, Serge Noujaim, the Chief Executive Officer of Cool FM, Wazobia FM, and Nigeria Info, noted that the “I Beg To Differ” Student Debate Tournament is built to provide Nigerian students with the opportunity to showcase their creativity through public speaking, particularly on socio-economic and political matters that concerns Nigeria.

“We, as a youth-focused brand, have come to the full realisation of the need to champion the creation of an enabling platform that encourages Nigerian youths to showcase their creativity through effective communication. This is because we believe that being able to communicate both effectively and intelligently creates an avenue for objective criticisms to be made on socio-political concerns that directly matter to Nigeria’s overall growth and development. It is on this backdrop that we are commencing the third edition in order to provide young Nigerians with the chance to develop their communicative competencies,” he said.

Supporting the CEO’s statement, Femi Obong-Daniels, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs for Cool FM, Wazobia FM, and Nigeria Info stated that Nigeria Info is passionate about championing initiatives that contribute to the development of Nigerian youths nationwide.

“We, as a brand, understand the need to contribute towards the development of youths across the nation. This is because we are aware of the essential role that we play in shaping the lives of people, particularly that of Nigerian youths. It is on this premise that we strongly believe that the “I Beg To Differ” Student Debate Tournament is designed to build future leaders that will positively impact the growth and development of the nation,” he noted.

The “I Beg To Differ” Student Debate Tournament is a youth-driven initiative of Nigeria Info that contributes to the development of the intellectual capacity of Nigerian students on a national scale.