PREAMBLE: Months after the applause and celebrations that followed their victory at the LASUSU Debate Global Dialogue Intervarsity Debate, the winners are still waiting for the N1 million cash prize they were promised. As frustration mounts among the student orators, questions are now being raised over the funding, transparency and accountability surrounding the competition, Aramide Okunboh, Editor-in-Chief, LASU Conscience, reports._

Four months after the conclusion of the LASUSU Debate Global Dialogue Intervarsity Debate, winners of the competition are yet to receive the N1 million prize money announced by the organisers.

The competition, organised by the Office of the Vice President of the Lagos State University Students’ Union (LASUSU), Comr. Moyosoluwa Abisuga, was held on April 29, 2026, and attracted student debaters from several universities within and outside Lagos State.

Among the participating institutions were the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

The organisers had announced a total prize of N1 million, comprising N500,000 for the winner, N300,000 for the second-place team and N200,000 for the third-place team.

Although the winners were announced at the end of the competition, the prize money has reportedly remained unpaid months after the event.

Winners: “We Are Still Waiting”
A member of the winning team who spoke with LASU Conscience said the winners had repeatedly sought clarification from the organisers through the WhatsApp group created for participants after the competition.

According to the participant, the organisers initially attributed the delay to the absence of the Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, who was reportedly out of the country and expected to approve the release of the funds.

However, the participant said the Vice Chancellor had since returned, but the winners were still waiting for their prizes.

The participant also expressed concern over what was described as declining communication from the organisers.

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

He said the issue was not solely about the money, noting that the competition involved students from different institutions who incurred expenses to participate.

He cited the case of a second-place winner who reportedly travelled from a distant institution and spent about N70,000 on transportation.

According to him, the participant had been encouraged by the prospect of receiving the N300,000 prize, which would have helped offset the cost of attending the competition.

He warned that the prolonged delay could create a negative impression among students from other universities who participated in the programme.

Third-Place Winner Also Awaits Prize
A member of the third-place team, a student of LASUSTECH, also confirmed that the team had not received its N200,000 prize.

She said participants were informed before the competition that prizes would be presented immediately after the event.

According to her, however, there was initially no clear explanation for the delay.

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

She explained that after participants began demanding updates, they were initially asked to wait for a week. The waiting period, she said, subsequently extended to two weeks, three weeks and beyond.

The participant said contestants were eventually informed that the funds were unavailable.

She further claimed that participants later learnt that no provision had initially been made for the prize money and that the organisers were expecting the host university to provide funds from which the prizes would be paid.

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

She added that participants repeatedly had to seek updates before receiving information concerning the payment.

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

Responding to inquiries, the LASUSU Vice President, Comr. Moyosoluwa Abisuga, whose office hosted the programme, confirmed that the winners had not received their prizes.

She attributed the delay to the non-release of the funds by the university management.

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

Abisuga said her office had communicated with participants on several occasions and that she had personally followed up with the university’s Bursary Department.

“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 denied allegations that the prize money had already been collected and spent by the organisers.

She said she had personally spent millions of naira on the programme and would not risk her reputation by diverting funds meant for the winners.

She added that participants seeking further clarification could be directed to the Dean of Student Affairs, whom she said was aware of the situation.

Abisuga also expressed concern over what she described as “slanderous” allegations that the prize money had already been received and spent.

She challenged anyone making such claims to provide evidence showing when the money was allegedly received, the account into which it was paid and how it was supposedly spent.

Funding Questions Remain
The controversy has left the winners waiting for payment while also raising questions about the funding arrangement for the competition.

The organisers publicly announced a N1 million prize pool, and winners were declared at the end of the event. However, four months later, the money remains unpaid.

The LASUSU Vice President maintains that the delay is due to the failure of the university management to release the funds and insists that she has continued to follow up with the Bursary.

The winners, meanwhile, say they have yet to receive a definite date for payment.

The situation has also raised questions about whether the prize money had been secured before the competition was announced and whether participants were adequately informed about the funding arrangement.

For an intervarsity competition involving students from several institutions, the issue extends beyond the eventual winners. Participants incurred transportation and other expenses to attend the event based on the commitments made by the organisers.

The prolonged delay could consequently affect students’ confidence in similar programmes organised by the Students’ Union and influence the willingness of participants from other universities to take part in future editions..

With the Vice Chancellor’s tenure approaching its end and the 36th LASUSU Executive Council preparing to leave office, a key question remains: when exactly will the winners receive the prizes announced for them?