By ANGELA ATABO

A 500-level law student of University of Abuja, Amra Salihu,has emerged winner of the 2026 Amnesty International intervarsity debate.

The University of Abuja emerged in first position with 86.1 points, defeating Imo State University, which came second with 73.7 points, while Madonna University secured third place with 72 points.

The Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Dr Isa Sanusi, made this known at the Grand Finale of the Debate with the theme “Speak. Act. Defend Rights”on Monday in Abuja.

Sanusi said the organisation remained committed to expanding and improving the annual debate competition across Nigeria as a form of enhancing youths’ participation in human rights.

“We only have one aim for having this debate.That is that we want to make sure that human rights is widely understood in Nigeria and to also ensure we enhance the culture of debate and conversation between people.

“This is because in the age of social media and mobile phones, it is very clear that people are gradually losing their ability to have productive conversation with each other.

“You will go to schools, public places, you will sit down among people, and you hardly see two people engaging in meaningful conversation between themselves. Everyone is on his phone, including myself.

“So, this is reducing our ability and our capacity to engage in each other, to convince people.”

Sanusi therefore said that the debate was organised to make younger people, the university students, and secondary school students to imbibe the culture of debate, culture of conversation is improved among young people in Nigeria.

“We have serious deficit of critical thinking at this time, all over.When you watch television, when you watch podcasts, you will clearly see that gradually the ability to use critical thinking is decreasing.

“People’s ability to use reason, to use logic, to use debate to make people understand them is going down. And that is why we are having so much violence in our society.

“When people cannot use language to convince others about what they believe in or what they want, they will just use their hands or use their guns.

“That is very dangerous. And that is why we are having so much bloodshed around the world, not only in Nigeria, not only in Africa.”

Sanusi urged students see the debate not as a competition, but as an opportunity to learn, as an opportunity to understand human rights better and advising them to take their studies and their debating skills very seriously.

This,he said was because debating skills have taken so many people to so many places and they stand a chance to learn, improve and build themselves for the future.

Also speaking,Finance and office manager, Amnesty International, Benedicta Ofili, said out of the 24 schools that began the debate journey, only six exceptionally resilient students navigated the knock-out stages.

Ofili listed the 2026 finalists to include:Veritas University,Abuja,

University of Abuja, Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State,Imo State University, University of Port Harcourt and University of Uyo.

“This vision is what drives Amnesty International a global movement of over 10 million people united by our shared humanity, independent of any political ideology, economic interest, or religion.

“In line with the global strategy to empower young people for human rights activism, we recognise that tertiary institutions are critical spaces for shaping the future of human rights discourse.

“Based on this conviction the flagship Intervarsity Debate programme was born in 2023,” she said.

The Winner from University of Abuja, Amra Salihu, described the achievement as both fulfilling and rewarding, following weeks of rigorous preparation, extensive research, and personal sacrifice.

“I feel excited. I also feel fulfilled. It’s like God has crowned my efforts.

“In the great words of my coach, when you are on your best, you can beat the best,” she said.

She encouraged young people striving for excellence not to give up.(NAN)

Update news