The local organising committee (LOC) of the 13th All Nigeria Universities Debate Competition (ANUDC) has declared that the contest was aimed at promoting reasoned discourse.
The organisers said the competition was also aimed at raising a generation of Nigerians who can win arguments with words rather than violence.
The LOC chairman, Dr Dike Harcourt, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday, said the context, which commences today, holds at the main campus of the Rivers State University.
Harcourt said the championship brings together students from universities across the country’s six geopolitical zones to compete in what is regarded as Nigeria’s foremost intercollegiate debate competition.
He said the 13th edition, with the theme, “Reason Over Anarchy: Raising A Generation That Wins With Words,” would provide an opportunity for the participants to demonstrate their intellectual abilities, critical thinking, research skills and capacity for persuasive communication.
Dike stated that the championship, organised by the All Nigeria Universities Debating Council, had, over the years, established itself as a major platform for identifying and nurturing intellectual leadership among Nigerian undergraduates.
He noted that previous editions of the competition had produced debaters who later distinguished themselves in various fields, including law, governance, business, academia and public service, adding that the decision to host the latest edition at Rivers State University reflected the institution’s commitment to intellectual development.
The statement quoted the President of the All Nigeria Universities Debating Council, Prof. A. A. Owoade, as saying that the theme of the championship was particularly relevant to the challenges confronting the country, stressing the need for young Nigerians to embrace reasoned argument rather than violence.
Owoade said the competition was designed to invest in a generation of Nigerians who understand that the ability to reason clearly, argue persuasively and lead with words remained one of the most powerful tools for positive change in society.
The opening ceremony of the championship is scheduled for today, Monday, 7 September 2026, with distinguished guests from the Federal and Rivers State Governments, the National Universities Commission (NIC), university authorities, debaters, coaches and alumni expected to attend.
According to the organisers, preliminary rounds, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the grand finale will take place during the championship, with the 13th ANUDC champion expected to emerge on 12 September, while the programme will run until 13 September.
The Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, expressed the institution’s readiness to host the championship, saying the university believes in knowledge, rigorous intellectual discourse and the transformative power of education.
The organisers explained that this year’s theme was a deliberate response to what they described as increasing noise, division and aggression in public discourse, stressing that structured debate and disciplined use of language remained essential to building a functional democratic society.
