By Tunde Soba

The Ekiti State University (EKSU) Law Team, led by the Attorney General, Olumide Ajayi, and the President of the Law Student Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN), EKSU Chapter, Adeyemi Egbebi, wins the PRIMA STRATA National Law Students Debate Competition.

The Prima Strata is the most prestigious national law school debate competition in Nigeria, organized by the Prima Strata club of the Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, with open invitations to all law schools in Nigeria.

The 2018 edition of the Prima Strata, held on June 10th and 11th, 2018, saw Law students from Universities across Nigeria converge to compete. After a rigorous selection process and a series of preliminary stages, more than 15 University teams proceeded to the qualifying stages. The theme of the 2018 Prima Strata edition was “Not Too Young To Run.”, a topical issue on the participation of youths in governance, policy making, and legislative developments, particularly on issues affecting the state of the nation, such as sustainable development goals (SDGs), environmental issues, information technology, and its adverse effect, including academic distractions and breach of data protection rights. The Prima Strata is a national event supported by notable figures and organizations. The main sponsor of the 2018 edition is First Bank of Nigeria, a leading financial institution in Nigeria.

The EKSU LAW was ably represented by Shanu Olumide Emmanuel, Dorodola Ayobami Tosin, and Oyewole Babatunde Sunday. The team ended a two (2) decade streak of near misses, emerging as national champions under the capable leadership of Olumide Ajayi, the Attorney General of the Law Student Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN), EKSU Chapter, who played a critical role in the team’s success by spearheading their preparations, policy proposals, and overall strategy. His leadership, guidance, and the team’s unwavering dedication to achieving excellence became the backbone of restoring the faculty’s national glory. Other team members are the Chief Justice of LAWSAN, EKSU Chapter, Kolawole Omoyajowo, and a notable member of the Attorney General’s office, Damilola Agbaje.

This National Award of Excellence was presented to the EKSULAW team, who emerged first in the national competition, by the Chairman of the 2018 Prima Strata edition, Professor Kingsley Moghalu, an erudite scholar of law and a professor of practice in International Business and Public Policy at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is a renowned lawyer, political economist, and a former United Nations official who once served as the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. He is a presidential candidate.

The EKSULAW Team advanced with authority at the Prima Strata National Law student Debate Competition to the preliminary stages of the competition, which saw more than ten (10) schools disqualified, and then they soared to victory by emerging first in both the semifinals and finals. In addition to the team’s victory, Mr. Shanu Olumide distinguished himself by winning the Best Dressed award at the event.