As a way of grooming and promoting speaking abilities and oratory skills among Secondary School students, Agricultural Social Entrepreneurship Foundation (ASEF) held her inauural Children’s Day School Debate Competition which was also graced with Food Systems Dialogue Summit on Thursday, 27th May, 2021 at FarmKonnect Headquarters, Bashorun, Ibadan. The inter-school debate was designed to create a platform where school students share thoughts and ideas by debating on topics relevant to the food systems dialogue. Industry experts in agriculture and education were also present as guest speakers to discuss important thematic areas on transforming food systems for children and adolescents in Nigeria and Africa at large, in attendance was the Adviser to The Oyo State Government, Hon. Victor Oloyede, who highlighted the plans of Governor Seyi makinde for students in the state.

The school debate competition’s preliminary stage featured 16 video entries from secondary schools in Oyo state, of which 8 schools were selected to participate in the semi-final. The grand prize for the finale was contested by four schools who had scaled through the first round of debates in the semi-final; Yejide Girls Junior Grammar School, Ibadan; Lydeb Comprehensive College, Ibadan; Mount Rose High School, Ibadan and Brightest Star College, Ibadan. After two rounds of debating, Brightest Star College, Ibadan emerged as the overall winner of the inaugural debate competition, while Yejide Girls Junior Grammar School emerged as the first runner-up and Lydeb Comprehensive College, the second-runner up.

Prizes such as tablets, phones, and other gadgets were awarded to the winning schools, while students from all participating schools also won, for themselves, an Agritech scholarship courtesy of the CEO, DrCloud Technology, Mr Ibrahim Lukman. In addition, Three (3) outstanding students from the debating schools were also awarded scholarships worth 100,000 Naira each as prizes courtesy of the CEO, FarmKonnect Agribusiness PLC, Lt. Comm. Azeez Oluwole.

The CEO of the Foundation Ms. Eniolamide Jinadu, also used the period to introduce their Agricultural Inclusion Project, which is aimed at helping schools and students earn through agriculture by encouraging and providing supports that allow students to engage in commercial and modern day agriculture.