Miss Amra Salihu Onize, a 500 level law student at the University of Abuja, has won the 2026 Amnesty International Nigeria Intervarsity Human Rights Debate, beating competitors from 24 universities across the country after weeks of intense debating rounds that commenced on 15 April 2026.

The University of Abuja topped the final standings with 86.1 points, ahead of Imo State University, which placed second with 73.7 points, and Madonna University, which secured third place with 72 points.

Naomi Innocent Chikwuado of Imo State University finished as first runner up, while Obodoefuna Ijeoma Cynthia of Madonna University placed second runner up. Uwakfmfon Moses Etim of the University of Uyo emerged third runner up. The University of Port Harcourt and Veritas University Bwari were also among the six institutions that featured in the final stage of the competition. Jonathan Alewa from Gombe State University made a special presentation on the various dimensions of poverty and human rights.

Announcing the results at the grand finale held on Monday in Abuja, Amnesty International Nigeria Country Director Isa Sanusi described the debate as a reflection of the organisation's commitment to empowering young Nigerians to engage critically with human rights issues.

"We only have one aim for having this debate. That is, we want to make sure that human rights are widely understood in Nigeria and to also ensure we enhance the culture of debate and conversation between people," Sanusi noted.

The Country Director expressed concern over the declining quality of interpersonal engagement among young people, attributing part of the problem to the dominance of social media and mobile phone use. "You will go to schools, public places, you will sit down among people, and you hardly see two people engaging in meaningful conversation between themselves. Everyone is on their phone, including me. So, this is reducing our ability and our capacity to engage with each other, to convince people," he explained.

Sanusi urged student participants to view the competition beyond its competitive dimension, stressing that debating skills had opened doors for many individuals and remained a valuable tool for personal development.

The initiative, now in its fourth year, targets university and secondary school students and is aimed at promoting critical thinking, dialogue, and youth participation in conversations around justice, accountability, and human dignity. Last year, Miss Goodluck Akinlawon of the University of Ibadan won the 2025 edition of the competition.