By Godwin Chukwumaechi, Port Harcourt
A total of 37 secondary schools in Rivers State will participate in the second edition of the Education Champions’ League (ECL) quiz and debate competition.
The schools, which are drawn from different parts of the state, will be competing for three awards, the Chief O.B Lulu Briggs award, the Professor Claude Ake award and the Boma Erekosima awards, which will attract various prizes.
In the maiden edition in 2024, Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) Abuloma, Port Harcourt emerged winners receiving a grand prize of N10 million.
A total of 16 schools from the state competed in the 2024 edition.
Speaking at the ‘August Meeting’, a book reading event in Port Harcourt at the weekend, ECL initiator, Kingsley Wali, announced that any school that scales through the quarter finals of the competition will be compensated.
The event featured the review and review of the book, ‘In Am Because We Re: The Story of Dora Akunyili’, authored by Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr.
As a boost from the maiden edition, Wali stated; “Any school that gets up to the quarter final stage will be compensated financially.”
In his remarks, Professor Eme Ekekwe, said the purpose of the quiz and debate competition is to encourage reading analytical and critical thinking skills among secondary school students.
Ekekwe said: “The purpose of the competition is to encourage reading, analytical and critical thinking skills among secondary school students.
“Based on that, it is strongly recommended that all schools should nominate only those students who can represent them within the context of proper articulation, expression and presentation. The goal is to create even and fair conditions for all test participants.”
The ECL competition, aims at enhancing literacy among Nigerian youths and rewarding literary talents.