By Esther Onyegbula

Igbeyinadun Primary School, Shomolu, has emerged winner of the 3rd Dacurate Primary School Leadership Quiz, defeating 14 other schools in the grand finale of the competition held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Iganmu, Lagos.

The event, organised by Dacurate Insight Initiative in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Education, attracted over 300 students and about 500 guests, making it the largest edition of the competition since its inception.

The annual leadership quiz tests pupils across 12 areas of knowledge including Nigerian history, African leadership, governance, technology, women in history, current affairs and international organisations.

Speaking at the event, Convener of the Dacurate Leadership Quiz, Mr. Mateen Korede Taomu, said the initiative was designed to raise a generation of confident and informed young leaders.

According to him, “What Dacurate stands for is simple: every child deserves to be seen, challenged, and celebrated. Today proved that Nigeria’s next generation is more than ready.”

The 2026 edition began with over 30 schools participating in the preliminary rounds before the field was narrowed to 15 finalists who competed in General Knowledge, Current Affairs and Critical Thinking segments.

Lawyer and television host, Timi Agbaje, served as Quiz Master during the competition.

At the end of the contest, Igbeyinadun Primary School clinched the top prize of N300,000 comprising cash scholarships, tech gadgets and leadership training sessions.

Awoyaya Primary School, Victoria Island, came second and received N200,000 worth of prizes, while Spring Children’s School, Okota, finished third with prizes valued at N100,000.

Chief Executive Officer of SKLD Integrated Services and Co-Founder of Harde Business School, Mr. Tayo Osiyemi, commended the organisers for creating a platform that encourages excellence among young learners.

He said, “At SKLD we have spent 25 years putting resources into classrooms across this country, and we have seen what happens when you give people access and challenge them to rise.

“Watching these children compete at this level, I am reminded that the raw material has never been the problem. The question has always been whether we build the right environments for it to flourish. Dacurate is one of those environments.”

Organisers said the competition was supported by MTN, Sosa Fruit Drink, SKLD Integrated Services and other partners committed to youth development and educational advancement.

Dacurate Insight Initiative said it currently reaches more than 5,000 students annually across Lagos State through its Primary School Leadership Quiz and Secondary School Leadership Debate programmes.