FOUR MONTHS AFTER WINNING, LASUSU DEBATE GLOBAL DIALOGUE WINNERS ARE STILL WAITING FOR ₦1M PRIZE

Four months after the conclusion of the LASUSU Debate Global Dialogue Intervarsity Debate, the winners of the competition are still awaiting the ₦1 million prize money announced by the organisers.

The competition, hosted by the Office of the Vice President of the Lagos State University Students’ Union (LASUSU), in person of Comr. Moyosoluwa Abisuga, was held on April 29, 2026, and attracted student debaters from institutions within and outside Lagos State, including the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and other universities.

The organisers announced a total prize of ₦1 million, with ₦500,000 designated for the first-place winner, ₦300,000 for the second-place winner and ₦200,000 for the third-place winner.

The winners were announced at the conclusion of the competition. However, months later, none of the prize money has reportedly been paid.

“We Are Still Waiting”

A member of the winning team brought the issue of the unpaid prize money to the attention of LASU Conscience.

According to the person, the winners have repeatedly sought clarification from the organisers through the WhatsApp group created for participants following the competition.

The person said that the organisers initially explained that the payment was awaiting the return of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, who was reportedly outside the country and needed to approve the release of the funds.

However, the person said the Vice Chancellor has since returned, yet the winners are still waiting for their money.

The person also raised concerns about the communication between the organisers and the winners, saying that responses that were initially provided to participants have become less frequent.

“At first, they usually responded to our messages in the group, but now they don’t anymore,” He said.

For his team, the delay goes beyond the money itself, particularly because the competition was an intervarsity programme that attracted students from different institutions.

He pointed to the experience of a second-place winner who reportedly travelled from a distant institution and spent about ₦70,000 on transportation to participate in the competition.

According to our source, the participant was happy to have emerged second, as the ₦300,000 prize would have at least helped offset the cost of travelling for the competition.

The continued delay, he said, could create a negative impression among students from other institutions who participated in the programme.

Third-Place Winner Also Awaiting Prize

A member of the team that finished third, a student of Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), also confirmed to LASU Conscience that the team is yet to receive its ₦200,000 prize.

According to the participant, contestants were informed before the competition that the winners would receive their prizes immediately after the event.

She said that after the competition, participants initially received no clear information regarding the delay.

“Initially, we received no information from the organisers, only silence,” she said.

She explained that after participants began asking questions, they were initially asked to wait for the first week. According to her, the waiting period subsequently extended to two weeks, three weeks and beyond.

She said participants were eventually informed that the funds were unavailable.

The participant further claimed that they later learnt that no provision had initially been made for the prize money and that the organisers were expecting the host school to provide a specific amount from which the prizes would be released.

“We were never informed of the exact amount or given a clear explanation of this arrangement,” she said.

She added that participants consistently had to ask questions and demand updates before receiving information about the payment.

LASUSU VP: “The School Management Hasn’t Paid”

Responding to questions from LASU Conscience, the LASUSU Vice President, Comr. Moyosoluwa Abisuga whose office hosted the programme, confirmed that the winners have not received their prize money.

According to her, the delay is because the University Management has not released the funds meant for the prizes.

“The school management hasn’t paid the money meant for the prize for the winners,” she said.

She said her office had communicated with participants on several occasions regarding the situation and that she had personally followed up with the University’s Bursary.

“Yes, we’ve communicated with the participants on several occasions about what’s going on. And even from my own end, I’ve been visiting the Bursary regularly to do a check-in, just been getting excuses from their end and being asked to wait,” she said.

The Vice President also pushed back against claims that the prize money had already been collected and spent by the organisers.

She said she had spent millions of naira on the operation of the programme and would not put her reputation at risk.

She further stated that participants who required additional clarification could be directed to the Dean of Student Affairs, whom she said was aware of the situation.

The Vice President also expressed concern over what she described as “slanderous” claims suggesting that the prize money had already been collected and spent.

She said those making such claims would be required to provide evidence of when the money was allegedly received, whose account it was sent to and how it was allegedly spent.

What Was LSUDS’ Role?

The Lagos State University Debate Society (LSUDS), which was associated with the programme, has also clarified its role in the competition.

Speaking with LASU Conscience, the President of LSUDS said the society’s involvement was limited to providing judges and a representative to represent LASU in the competition.

According to the President, LSUDS was not involved in the organisation, selection process, financial arrangements, prize-money arrangements or disbursement of the prizes.

The society also clarified that although some of the students who represented LASU were members of LSUDS, they were not officially selected or nominated by the society for the competition.

The President said LSUDS only became aware that the winners had not received their prize money after the matter was brought to its attention.

“As far as the unpaid prize money is concerned, this is honestly the first time I am becoming aware of the issue,” the President said.

The clarification places the financial responsibility for the outstanding prize outside LSUDS’ stated role in the programme.

A Promise Yet to Be Fulfilled

The central issue remains the same: a ₦1 million prize was publicly announced for the competition, winners were announced, but the money has remained unpaid months after the event.

While the LASUSU Vice President maintains that the University Management is yet to release the funds and that she has continued to follow up with the Bursary, the winners say they are still without a definite payment date.

The situation also raises questions about the funding arrangement for the competition and whether the prize money had been secured before the event was announced.

For an intervarsity competition that attracted students from different institutions, the issue extends beyond the winners themselves. Participants travelled, competed and relied on the commitments made by the organisers.

The delay could therefore have implications for how students from other universities perceive future programmes organised by the Students’ Union.

For now, the winners remain without the prize money they were promised.

The question for the LASUSU Vice President and the entire LASUSU body, then, is simple: How long are the winners expected to wait for their prize money? With the Vice Chancellor’s tenure also approaching its end, and the 36th LASUSU Executive Council preparing to vacate office, when exactly can the winners expect to receive what they were promised and what they earned?

LASU Conscience will continue to follow developments on the matter and provide updates as further information becomes available.