Recently updated on October 24th, 2022 at 10:11 am
13-year-old Tanvita Koushik has emerged winner of the inaugural edition of the Nigeria Info “I Beg To Differ” student debate competition.
The debate competition, which commenced in November 2021, featured hundreds of secondary school students across Lagos State between the ages of 13 to 17 years.
Tanvita Koushik of Avic-Cenna International School defeated Emmanuella Nnadi from Vicmob High School, Lagos State, after debating on two socioeconomically-related topics which were centered on the ban of commercial motorcycle operations across Lagos State and the battle for the control of Value Added Tax (VAT) between the state governments and the Federal Government.
On her part, winner of the debate tournament, Koushik argued that states should be given an opportunity to control VAT from their states as they know how best to make use of such funds.
She added that it would be wrong to write off the state governments without giving them the opportunity at such tasks.
She was unanimously considered the winner of the tournament by judges.
Tanvita Koushik was awarded one million Naira, a desktop computer, an HP printer, and a Blue-gate UPS, while the first-runner up, Emmanuella Nnadi received ₦250,000 and a Nintendo Switch.
The second-runner up, Uchechukwu Golden from Saint Saviours High School, also received ₦150,000, a JBL bluetooth speaker, and a Porodo smartwatch, while the third-runner up, Emmanuel Busari from Ifako International School won ₦50,000.
“I feel grateful to everyone who has helped me, particularly my family, my teachers, and my school. I am confident that I could not have done this all by myself without their support.”
