Abia State Students Win Top Honors at Qatar Debate 2026

Students from public schools in Abia State achieved remarkable success at the 2026 International Schools Debate Championship held in Doha, Qatar, where they won the prestigious Best International School award, the highest honor of the competition. The five-member team, representing Nigeria through Presidential School Debate Nigeria, also secured four trophies and a total of 12 laurels.

The event, coordinated by the Vocara Institute and hosted at Georgetown University, featured over 84 teams from eight countries. The team, consisting of Christian Chinweotitom Esther, Chikodi Maureen, Akamnonu Franklin, Ifeanyichukwu Prisca, and Simon Divine, defeated competitors from the Philippines, Jordan, India, and Qatar in the preliminary rounds before reaching the finals.

In addition to the Best International School Debate Team award, they earned the Overall Best Team in the Junior Category, Best Leadership Award, and Best Debater Award. Ukoha Ukoha, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alex Otti, remarked on the achievement as a testament to the state's reformed education system.