Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, on Wednesday, presented N6m cheques to the six public school students who recently won a presidential debate competition in Abuja.

The gesture, the governor noted, was in fulfilment of his administration’s pledge to give the teenagers one million naira each alongside a full scholarship for their first degree in any public tertiary institution in Nigeria.

The beneficiaries are Mashood Kamaldeen, Jatto Ramatallahi, Jimoh Abayomi Emmanuel, Emmanuel Chioma, Dolapo Mariam and AbdulKareem Uswat from different councils in the state.

AbdulRazaq congratulated them and their parents on the feat, saying the government will continue to monitor their educational programme to succeed in life.

“I congratulate the victorious students of the 2023 Presidential School Debate of Nigeria. We are happy about the feat. You’ve made us proud in Kwara state. We are committed to your progress and we will continue to monitor that,” the Governor said.

He said billions of naira will be committed this year to various educational and hygiene programmes to aid learning and improve the safety of pupils in schools.

He promised further investment to improve the educational curriculum and infrastructure in schools and urged the teachers and parents to keep up support for the kids and their education.

Speaking during the ceremony held in Ilọrin, state chairman of SUBEB, Prof Sheu Raheem Adaramaja, thanked the Governor for keeping his promise adding that the pupils will reciprocate by bringing home another trophy in subsequent competitions.

He said the students will represent Nigeria at the World School Debate Championship in the Republic of Serbia in Europe later in July.

Kwara won the 63rd edition of the presidential debate in Abuja for the second time in a row last year which involved participants from states of the federation.