Umuahia, the Abia State capital, became the heartbeat of a national conversation as the National Orientation Agency (NOA) hosted the South-East Zonal Final of the 2025 National Campus Debate Series.
The keenly contested event gathered members of the academia, government officials, and vibrant students from leading tertiary institutions across the zone to deliberate on the theme “Unity in Diversity: Defining National Identity in Nigeria’s Multicultural Society.”
Participating institutions included Nigerian British University, Aba,Abia State; Shanahan University,Onitsha Anambra State; Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu State; School of Nursing and Midwifery, Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital,Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri,Imo State.
After several electrifying rounds, the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Ebonyi State, emerged overall winner, while Shanahan University, Anambra State, and the Federal University of Technology, Imo State, claimed second and third places respectively.
Declaring the event open, the Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, represented by the South-East Zonal Director, Mrs. Regina Oyidiya Iroha, described the debate as a flagship civic-engagement platform designed to groom intellectuals and nurture patriotism among Nigerian youths.
“The National Campus Debate is more than a contest; it is a space where young Nigerians think critically about our identity and propose solutions for unity,” she said.
Abia State NOA Director, Comrade Victor Onyeanwuna Orji, reinforced the agency’s mission to deepen civic responsibility, citing initiatives such as the Citizens’ Brigade and nationwide digital birth registration campaigns as proof of NOA’s commitment to youth empowerment.
Delivering a goodwill message, the Head of the Federal Information Centre celebrated the students as “champions of a more inclusive Nigeria,” urging universities to be “magnanimous enough to offer scholarships to the winning debaters” in recognition of their brilliance and dedication.
He reminded participants that, “Our different tribes, tongues and traditions are not barriers but bridges. Today, you have spoken with one voice for a united nation.”
The debate is part of a nationwide three-tier competition. Institutions first submitted video entries before advancing to zonal face-to-face contests such as the Umuahia round. Winners from each zone will compete at the National Grand Finale on October 1, 2025, inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to unveil the National Values Charter during Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary celebrations.
Judges, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and government representatives attended the Umuahia event, commending the students for their intellectual vigour and passion for national unity.
The South-East zonal debate not only produced champions but also reaffirmed a powerful truth: Nigeria’s diversity, when celebrated and harnessed, is the nation’s greatest strength.
