The preliminary round of the University of Ibadan Medical Students’ Association (UIMSA) 64th Health Week Oratory Contest held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, following a delayed commencement attributed to a low turnout at the venue. Originally scheduled for 11:00 a.m., the event commenced at approximately 12:15 p.m., about 75 minutes behind schedule.
The contest eventually brought together 7 contestants representing different classes for an afternoon of public speaking and intellectual expression. It kicked off with the reading of the event’s opening remarks and the introduction of the host. The host subsequently engaged the audience before introducing the judges: Israel Bolarinwa, Lilian Osunwa and Rereoluwa Adeleye through a reading of their professional citations. A judge Israel Bolarinwa later took the audience through the rules and guidelines governing the competition, while the host outlined the arrangement of the contest’s rounds.
The competition kicked off proper with Nasir Emmanuel, representing the 2K27 class, who delivered the first peech. He was followed by Barnabas Akintola of the 2K28 class and Benedict Ugor, representing the 2K26 class. Following shortly was a brief intermission, where the audience were re-engaged through an impromptu speaking exercise in which two volunteers were invited to speak on an assigned topic for one minute each.
The contest subsequently resumed with Adetayo Oluwanishola representing the 2K29 class, followed by Adeyemo Peter representing the 2k25, followed by Victor Mong of the 2K23 class. Abraham Miracle, representing the 2K24 class, delivering their speeches. Audience participation was further encouraged through an impromptu motion, allowing members of the audience to demonstrate their ability to articulate arguments spontaneously.
At the conclusion of the contestants’ presentations, the judges evaluated the performances, gave their remarks and the results was announced, with the four highest-scoring classes securing qualification for the semi-final stage. The 2K23 class emerged as the overall winner with 77 points, followed by 2K28 with 67.83 points. The 2K29 class placed third with 67.33 points, while 2K26 secured the fourth and final qualifying position with 66 points.The results marked the end of the preliminary round and confirmed the four classes that would proceed to the semi-finals of the competition.