By – Aduwo Ayodele
Immediate past Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Indypress Organization, Habeeb Abdul, on Thursday, May 30, 2024 emerged second position winner in the concluded Amnesty International Intervarsity Debate competition.
The Intervarsity debate was aimed at expanding the understanding of human rights and encouraging the integration of human rights in university spaces, Isa Sanusi, Director, Amnesty International Nigeria, noted at the event.
Twelve universities across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria participated in this year’s Amnesty debate.
Participating universities in the concluded debate were; University of Lagos, Bowen University, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Cross Rivers State University, University of Calabar, Landmark University, Adamawa State University, Ahmadu Bello University, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
With the final debate held at the Baze University in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, Habeeb Akorede of the University of Ibadan emerged the first runner-up.
In a chat with IndyPress, Habeeb Abdul noted that the experience was interesting and testing.
“It was quite exciting, to be frank. I personally enjoy the thrill of debating and coming up with arguments at a snap so it was an opportunity to indulge” Abdul said.
“The finale was particularly interesting for me because it put my ability to think really fast on important issues to the test. Aside from that, the networking aspect of the whole event was really great” Abdul added.
Speaking, Director, Amnesty International Nigeria, Mr Sanusi noted that the programme was one of the organisation’s initiatives aimed at spreading human rights education among young people.
“This debate is part of Amnesty International’s efforts to empower Nigerian youth and university students with deeper understanding as well as engagement with human rights and to enhance their debating skills and capacity to convince and make change possible” Mr. Sanusi said.
