The University of Ghana (UG) has been crowned champions of the Shifting the Power Ghana Inter-University Debate Championship.
The two-day tournament, which concluded on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at the British Council in Accra, served as a cornerstone of the broader Shifting the Power programme, a national civic education initiative supported by Comic Relief, the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), and the STAR-Ghana Foundation, with facilitation by Speech Forces.
Following this success, Team UG will represent Ghana on the continental stage.
The preliminary rounds, held on March 2, 2026, at the University of Ghana, narrowed the competition to a final clash of wits between the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). In the end, the UG team — represented by Akua Afriyie Ofori Atta, Eugenia Atta-Sonno, Woelorm Agbedanu, and Mohammed Andani — outmanoeuvred their peers with a sophisticated blend of policy analysis and oratory prowess.
Speaking in a post-competition interview with Univers News, Woelorm Agbedanu reflected on the preparation that led to their triumph.
“This debate experience has been a fun one, but it has also been very intense. There was a lot we had to do as a team in preparation for all our rounds. It has been very difficult and, to an extent, we thought we might not even make it here. But the Lord has brought us this far, and I’m really happy to be here,” he noted.
Agbedanu further made a clarion call to the youth, stating that the days of waiting for permission to lead are over.
“My call to action to the youth is to actively take up these opportunities — opportunities that students shy away from — opportunities to air their voices. They should actively be involved in national issues and national discussions. Students often isolate themselves, but they should actively choose Ghana all the time.”
In a stirring address, the Executive Director of the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), Nana Afadzinu, challenged traditional models of development.
She urged the youth to recognise the power already residing within their own communities, universities, and civic institutions rather than looking outward for solutions.
“Ghana’s strength does not lie in solutions imported from elsewhere. It’s not about getting solutions that are foisted on us. We already have these solutions within us — in our people, in our local institutions, in our civic actors, and in our youth. What we need is boldness. We need that boldness to challenge the heritage models, and we are capable enough to design solutions that reflect our communities’ realities,” she stated.
The tournament brought together bright minds from four of Ghana’s premier institutions — Ashesi University, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the University of Ghana (UG), and the University for Development Studies (UDS) — to tackle pressing questions regarding the nation’s development.
Students debated critical themes, including local leadership, accountability, inclusive governance, and the future of Ghana’s public institutions.
Later in March 2026, Accra will host the Pan-African Grand Final, where the University of Ghana will go head-to-head with elite university teams from Malawi and Zambia. The upcoming showdown promises to be a historic moment for African student activism, as the three nations debate the collective path toward inclusive governance and a rebalanced power dynamic across the continent.
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Story by Nancy Kyeremeh | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Gabriel Tecco Mensah
