Funmi Ogundare
Winners have emerged at the 2026 Ardova PLC International Women’s Day (IWD) debate competition, aimed at building students’ confidence and leadership skills, as well as bridging the opportunity gap between public and private schools.
Themed, ‘Give to Gain,’ the students drawn from some public schools in Lagos, spoke on the topic, ‘Providing Girls with Leadership Opportunities is more Impactful than Providing Financial Support Alone.’
Oriwu Senior Model College, Ikorodu carried the day, smiling home with a cheque of N250,000, an HP desktop computer was also donated to the school.
Oregun Senior High School, Ikeja and
Ayedere Ajibola Senior High School, came second and third, winning a cheque of N200,000 and N150,000, respectively, while their schools also received a 15-inch rechargeable public address system.
Ikeja Senior High School, Ikeja, came fourth and went home with a cheque of N100,000, as well as an 18′ portable trolley public address system donated to the school.
Speaking with journalists, the Managing Director of Ardova PLC, Moshood Olajide, emphasised the importance of equipping young girls with soft skills, noting that such competencies are becoming increasingly critical for future leaders, often even more than technical abilities.
He added that the organisation plans to expand ithe initiative to more schools next year, as part of efforts to bridge the opportunity gap between students in public and private schools.
According to him, students in public schools often face disadvantages compared to their counterparts in private institutions, particularly in access to platforms that help build confidence and leadership skills.
“You find that there is almost a disadvantage in public schools compared to their counterparts in private schools. So we intend to provide a platform that gives the girls access to opportunities that will help them exude confidence, improve their speech and enhance their networking abilities,” he stated.
Olajide also called on other organisations to support similar initiatives, stressing that collective efforts are needed to empower young girls and strengthen society.
“We implore other organisations to join the government in putting together programmes that can help women. It is always better to catch them young,” he added.
In her remarks, the Deputy Managing Director of the organisation, Abiola Babatunde-Ojo, said the initiative goes beyond corporate social responsibility (CSR) or business performance, describing it as a deliberate investment in the future of young girls.
She explained that by investing in girls, organisations can inspire them to aspire to greater opportunities and leadership roles.
Babatunde-Ojo noted that the debate initiative was conceived after the organisation realised that many public schools lack platforms that are readily available to students in private schools.
“So we decided to bring them in to bridge the opportunity gap that their contemporaries in private schools have,” she said.
She added that such opportunities help give young girls a voice, build their confidence and contribute to building a stronger society and ultimately, a stronger economy.
According to her, the primary objective of the initiative is to invest in young girls so they can begin to see themselves as future leaders.
The deputy managing director further revealed that the organisation intends to sustain the programme, reaffirming its commitment to empowering girls.
“Before now, during every International Women’s Day, we focused on developing women within the organisation. But now we are extending the initiative beyond the organisation to include young girls and invest in their future so they can become leaders like us,” she said.
She expressed excitement about the initiative, noting that empowering young girls today will ultimately produce women who will positively impact the nation’s economy.
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