This week, our campus came alive as we made history by becoming the first private university to host the prestigious All Nigerian Youth Debate Championship (ANYDC) . It was a massive gathering of bright minds from tertiary institutions across the country, and we didn’t just host the event. We dominated it.
The Vice Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Prof. Christian Anieke was specially recognized as the ANYDC Debaters’ Ambassador for 2026. While receiving the honour through the Director of Competitions, Mrs. Uchanta Chukwu, the Vice Chancellor, shared that this award is a powerful boost to his commitment to helping young people grow. Mrs. Chukwu highlighted that these competitions are about more than just winning; they are designed to sharpen critical thinking and keep our youth focused on positive goals rather than societal vices.
The atmosphere at the Justice Cordial Chukwura Thinkers’ Corner was electric during the grand finale. The Co-Convener of the championship from Debaterverse, Mr. Anthony Ebubechukwu took a moment to praise Godfrey Okoye University for providing such a perfect environment for the participants. He explained that the goal of this entire initiative is to raise a new generation of articulate speakers and skilled leaders who can speak up and help the country grow.
The highlight of the night was seeing our own GOU students sweep the awards. Donald Chinedu-Ogbonna was named the Best Novice Debate Adjudicator in the country, with Aniekwe Bellecia taking the 3rd place and Ekeh Anthony Emmanuel taking the 5th. In public speaking, Kamsiyochukwu Ifeanyi Best made the Top 10, while Egbogu Favour Ogechukwu stood out in the Top 8.
Crowning it all, Egbogu Favour Ogechukwu emerged as the overall winner of the Duo Speech category.
From the Debate Ambassadorial Award to the harvest of medals, it was a clean sweep for the GOU family.
We are incredibly proud of our champions for showing that at this university, we don’t just talk about leadership. We live it.
Congratulations to everyone who made this historic win possible.
