Kwara Gov. Rewards Debate Champions N2M Each

Ilorin – Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Monday hosted five junior secondary school debaters at the Government House and showered them with cash rewards for their back-to-back victories at the international and national levels.

The students – Lawal Maryam Kikeloma, Jatto Rahmatallah Onize, Paul Unity, Fatimah AbdulRahman Thaini and Priscilla Aremu Temilayo – are pupils under the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

As previously reported by NaijaChoice News, the Kwara team first stormed Malaysia in December 2025 and won the International Junior Secondary School Debate Championship, beating participants from 16 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe. They became the first African team to lift the trophy and also carted home the Best Behaved Team award.

Shortly after that Malaysian feat, the same set of debaters retained the Nigerian Presidential School Debate trophy in Lagos, a title Kwara has now held for four straight years.

True to his tradition of celebrating excellence, Governor AbdulRazaq gave each of the five students N2 million and another N500,000 to each of their tutors. The cash is on top of the N3 million already saved by SUBEB for every student’s trip to Malaysia.

In a statement issued after the colourful reception, which was attended by members of the State House of Assembly, cabinet members, local government chairmen and parents of the champions, the governor said:

“Today in Ilorin, I hosted our schoolchildren who recently won the International Junior Secondary School Debate Championship in Malaysia. Shortly after the Malaysia feat, they also participated in the Nigerian Presidential School Debate in Lagos, where they again emerged champions.

“The Kwara debaters are Lawal Maryam Kikeloma, Jatto Rahmatallah Onize, Paul Unity, Fatimah AbdulRahman Thaini, and Priscilla Aremu Temilayo.

“As is my tradition to encourage excellence and scholarship, I awarded them N2m each and another N500,000 each for their tutors. They are worthy ambassadors of Nigeria and Kwara State. We are truly proud of their achievements.”

The governor vowed to sustain massive investment in the education sector.

“We will continue to invest heavily in the education sector, such as in the school infrastructure, curricula, and support for the civil servants who are behind the turnaround of our education in the state. We are glad to be here now; we couldn’t have dreamt of this seven years ago when salaries were not even being paid.

“A lot of work still needs to be done. We will continue to do what we need to do to make sure that the standards get better year in, year out.

“I say congratulations to the parents and teachers of these champions for their hard work and for giving the children the right values that prepared them for the feats.”

SUBEB Chairman Prof. Sheu Raheem Adaramaja and one of the students, Jatto Rahmatallah Onize, thanked the governor for creating an enabling environment that made the historic wins possible.

The event has further boosted the image of Kwara as an emerging education hub in Nigeria, with residents already describing the young champions as “our own global stars.”