Abuja:Government Day Secondary School in Dutse emerged as the overall winner of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) and European Union (EU) inter-secondary school debate.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the debate took place at NILDS Headquarters in Abuja to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child. Four schools competed in the final round on the topic “Empowering the girl child is more effective than punishing offenders in ending child marriage.” The schools included Government Day Secondary School, Dutse Alhaji, Government Science Secondary School, Maitama, Baptist High School, Kubwa, and Ambassador Global Academy, Kwali.
Government Day Secondary School argued in favor of punishing offenders and won with a score of 89 percent, receiving a prize of N1 million. Government Science Secondary School, Maitama, secured second place with 76 percent, earning N500,000. Ambassador Global Academy, Kwali, came third and received N250,000, while Baptist High School, Kubwa, finished fourth and received N100,000.
Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, Director-General of NILDS, praised the students for their intelligence and strong argumentative skills, noting that the competition demonstrated their potential. He emphasized the need for greater investment in public schools, highlighting the impressive performances of public school students in past NILDS competitions. Sulaiman also stressed the importance of empowering girls through education and called for support from various sectors to promote girls’ education and protect their rights.
Amb. Gautier Mignot, Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, remarked that the competition encouraged gender equality and leadership among young girls. He pointed out that 129 million girls worldwide are out of school and that early marriage affects around 12 million girls annually. Mignot urged targeted investments to combat these issues and emphasized the EU’s commitment to promoting gender equality through its initiatives.
Grace Onuoha, the lead speaker for the winning school, expressed her happiness with their performance and committed to raising awareness about the dangers of child marriage among her peers.