Lagos school wins N100,000 prize in debate contest

The Lagos State Model Nursery and Primary School in Ikeja emerged as the winner of a N100,000 cash prize in an inter-school debate contest organized by Lions International, District 404B5, to commemorate World Literacy Day. The debate, held at Bola Memorial Primary School, saw primary school pupils from five schools discussing the negative impacts of social media on children and young people.

The event was part of a reading action program initiated by Lions to promote literacy and enhance children's learning and communication skills. District Governor Phina Origho emphasized the organization's commitment to literacy, explaining that the debate was designed to help children develop their learning abilities and encourage responsible use of social media.

Origho highlighted the need to guide children as they grow amidst the increasing influence of social media. The committee responsible for planning the programs in Ekiti and Lagos, Olapeju Hassan, stated that 21 Lions clubs across the two states collaborated on the initiative. She noted that 10 clubs participated in the inter-school program in Ekiti, where back-to-school items were distributed to pupils.

Hassan revealed that the Lions usually organize spelling bee competitions for World Literacy Day but introduced debates this year to promote communication and public-speaking skills among pupils.