Debate, when done right, teaches students how to structure arguments, use evidence, think critically, anticipate counterpoints and communicate with clarity and confidence. A solid debate speech follows a clear path: introduction, points, refutation, conclusion. Simple enough, in theory.
But in Nigeria, our debate culture has taken a troubling detour.
Too often, schools force children to argue positions that are blatantly false, unethical, or even harmful, all under the guise of “building public speaking skills.” The result? A generation trained not in critical thinking, but in performance. Not in truth, but in “truthiness.” Not in reasoning, but in the art of sounding convincing, even when they know what they’re saying is wrong.
This culture seeps into our public life. In many Nigerian debates, both in schools and in politics, whoever carries the crowd wins not who carries the facts. Evidence, data, context, and service records are routinely ignored. What matters is swagger, theatrics, and the loudest microphone. And eventually, that debate culture becomes our political culture.
What Nigerian Debates Should Be Teaching
If we want to make debates relevant to the 21st century and truly shape better thinkers, we must redefine what debating means.
– Students should learn that debates are not merely battles of opinion. They are exercises in reasoning.
– They must understand that issues are rarely black and white. A binary format doesn’t mean the world is binary.
– They should know that changing one’s mind in the face of evidence isn’t weakness it is intellectual maturity.
– They must realise that substance matters more than performance. Debates should champion truth, not tactics.
Nigeria needs a debate culture that rewards curiosity, empathy, research, and humility, not one that glorifies empty confidence.
A New Direction: Dare2Debate
On December 13, a new debating event, Dare2Debate, will bring together six schools in Lagos with one mission: to spark a thinking culture among young people.
Driven by Lagos-based multimedia organisation HACMedia and endorsed by the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Dare2Debate is already being celebrated as one of Nigeria’s most credible youth engagement platforms. It represents the kind of innovation our educational system needs, a shift away from argument-as-performance and toward debate-as-thinking.
If Nigeria is going to change its national narrative, it must start by transforming the way young people learn to argue. Debating can change minds, shape leaders, and strengthen democracy but only if we return it to its true purpose: the pursuit of truth.
