A new Lagos-based initiative is betting that the future of Nigerian leadership can be forged not through rote learning, but through rigorous, unconventional debate.
The Dare2Debate event, slated for December 13, is positioning itself as more than a traditional public speaking contest.
According to its convener, Davies Ikpoyi, it is an urgent intervention to build “articulate young leaders” and “problem solvers” for a generation increasingly shaped by social media.
In an interview on an Ibadan-based radio programme General Issues with the General on Adamimogo 105.1FM, Ikpoyi, team lead at HACmedia, outlined a vision that moves beyond “intellectual finesse” to emotional and practical engagement.
“Our topics are not regular,” Ikpoyi stated, highlighting the programme’s distinctive approach. “We tend to take it away from the regular… ‘Is social media your best friend or not?’ ‘What will you do if you become the president of the country?’… So we try to bring in topics that are quite insightful, intellectual, relatable.”
The goal, he explained, is to arm secondary school students with critical thinking, communication, and on-the-spot analytical skills he fears are being eroded. “The Gen Z era has really elevated a lot of quick thinkers,” Ikpoyi noted, “but people are now on TikTok, Instagram… They don’t want to have any physical thing to engage them.”
He pointed to a concerning discovery from school visits: “They tell me that… they don’t do debates. They have other things they do but they are not doing debates.” For Ikpoyi, this gap is critical. “It’s important… to have problem solvers. Who can think on their feet, speak properly and present themselves in a proper manner.”
The inaugural event, to be held at a venue on Adekunle Fajuyi Road in Ikeja, will host six schools, bringing together an estimated 250 participants for a day-long session from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
However, Ikpoyi issued a candid appeal for support, framing the challenge of funding educational, non-entertainment projects in Nigeria. “It’s not a project where people come to dance and whine their waists,” he said. “As long as it’s a project that’s educational, a lot of bodies, a lot of companies, they shy away from it.”
“We’re open for sponsorship… Your support will definitely go a long way,” Ikpoyi appealed, while affirming that the event will proceed regardless.
Dare2Debate enters a Nigerian educational landscape often marked by strikes and access issues, proposing a complementary model of learning.
