Pat Utomi Prize for Students’ Debate on Public Policy 2016 is designed to be
an annual debate festival that shall revive and stimulate the fast eroding
culture of students’ debates in campuses on government policies, programs
and public affairs in Nigeria. Each year, interested students from tertiary
institutions in Nigeria shall participate in preliminaries to qualify for the grand
finale scheduled to hold every 6th February alongside Prof Patrick Utomi’s
birthday commemoration and annual lecture.
During the first quarter of Nigeria’s independence, tertiary institutions were
known for great lectures and intellectually stimulating debates among students
on different government policies and programs. Our tertiary institutions were
known as a source for providing alternate and qualitative views on public
affairs which government and social institutions considered in framing policy
and program directions. It is therefore no wonder that in 1976, Prof Pat Utomi
as a 19 year old 300 level student of the University of Nsukka, in then Old
Anambra State of Nigeria, wrote to and invited the late Amb. Joe Garba who
was then Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to come for a debate in
his Campus with students on Nigeria’s Foreign Policy. Indeed Amb. Joe Garba
honoured the invitation and flew all the way from Lagos to the University of
Nsukka to debate and interact with students! What gave Prof Pat Utomi the
confidence to invite the then serving Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria to his
school for a debate was because it was an integral part of school and students
activities to engage in robust debate on national issues. Today, that culture
has been replaced with music and dance competitions, beauty pageants and
lotteries. There is indeed a great need to resuscitate that culture of debating
and intellectual exchanges among our students to spur a new culture of
intellectualism among next generation students and leaders.
Eligibility:
Undergraduates of legally registered tertiary institutions in Nigeria, below 27
years of age.
Benefits:
Star Prize – N750,000. Second Prize – N500,000. Third Prize – N250,000
How To Participate:
Step One: Record a 2 minutes video of yourself speaking on the topic “Should
skills acquisition be mandatory for tertiary education?”
Step Two: Upload your video to your YouTube account
Step Three: Complete the Online Submission Form
Modality
Phase 1
Students in legally registered higher institutions in Nigeria who are interested
shall record a 2 minutes speech and submit for screening and selection. 16
highest scoring applicants shall be selected for the next phase.
Phase 2
The 16 selected debaters shall converge in Abuja for a 1 day preliminary
debate on 14 January, 2016. After the preliminary debate, 4 Debaters shall
emerge to proceed to the grand finale.
Grand Finale
The last round of the debate between 4 finalists shall happen on 6 February,
2016 during the CVL Annual Lecture and commemoration of Prof Pat Utomi’s
birthday in Lagos, Nigeria.
Deadline for Submission : January 8, 2016.
For registration and more information, click here
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