By Innocent Anaba

Honeyland Schools has been crowned champion of the first Lagos Regionals in the Season 9 I Beg to Differ Debate Tournament after edging out Straitgate High School in a nail-biting final decided by just 1.5 points.

The finale, held in Lagos, saw both teams go head-to-head on the motion, “Capitalism Is the Best System for National Development.”

Judges described the contest as one of the fiercest in the tournament’s history, with Honeyland ultimately pulling ahead to secure the regional title.

Straitgate High School finished second, while Heritage Group of Schools claimed third place by defeating Great Solid Rock College in the bronze match.

Their debate centred on the motion, “Police Brutality in Nigeria Is Primarily a Result of Systemic Failure, Not Individual Misconduct.”

The judges returned a unanimous verdict in favour of Heritage.

The regional tournament was sponsored by GZ Industries, with support from Fina Trust Microfinance Bank, Obiwezy Gadgets and Multiplan Pathway College. Organisers credited the partners for helping deliver what has been described as one of the most competitive editions so far.

Honeyland Schools received a cash prize of N5 million and smartphones for its contestants.

Straitgate took home N3 million and Bluetooth speakers for each debater, while Heritage earned N2 million alongside headphones.

All three schools have now qualified for the National Tournament of Champions scheduled for August 2026, where they will compete with top-performing teams from across the country.

Meanwhile, organizers have announced that registration for the Second Lagos Regional opened on December 11 and will run until January 10, 2026.

Schools interested in participating are advised to register early via www.nigeriainfo.fm, as entries are expected to be highly competitive.