Sometimes, societies tend to share a broad consensus on the aims of education: what schools should teach, how they should teach it, and who determines those priorities.
In many evolving domains, debate as an extracurricular activity has remained one of the most valuable components of the educational experience, offering teachers and pupils alike a platform to sharpen their intellectual capacities.
Educators note that structured debate not only enriches classroom learning but also provides young people with an avenue to aspire to leadership through the power of public speaking. For years, society assumed that teachers were best positioned to make core decisions about education, engaging in ongoing dialogue about the merits of traditional and progressive approaches to learning. Debate, however, gives students a direct role in this intellectual process.
Experts describe debate as a transformative tool that supports cognitive development while shaping personality. It refines both interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, encourages collaboration, fosters creative thinking on real-world issues, and trains students to defend their ideas with research-backed reasoning and clear logic.
The academic benefits are equally compelling. Debate has been shown to improve reading comprehension speed, writing productivity, data analysis, evidence-based argumentation, and sustained attentiveness, skills that frequently propel debaters into the top tier of their classes. Many students report that school feels easier as debate sharpens their ability to process information and articulate their thoughts with confidence.
It is this intellectual gap that Dare2Debate Lagos hopes to bridge.
Scheduled for December 13, 2025, at 25 Adekunle Fajuyi Way, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, the programme aims to rekindle a culture of disciplined, persuasive, and analytical communication in Nigerian schools.
Endorsed by the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Dare2Debate is positioned as a platform where ideas are tested, challenged, and refined.
The initiative is led by project director Davies Ikpoyi under the Think. Speak. Lead. (TSL) umbrella, a programme that has already trained more than 3,000 students across Nigeria in public speaking, critical thinking, and leadership. This year’s edition will feature six participating schools, offering pupils the chance to engage in rigorous debate formats that demand clarity, logic, and respect for opposing viewpoints.
As education systems worldwide grapple with declining critical-thinking skills and shrinking attention spans, Dare2Debate seeks to rebuild the intellectual spaces that help young Nigerians engage more thoughtfully with their society.
Lagos is set for a charged, inspiring contest of ideas.
Do well to attend!
