The University of Ibadan Medical Students’ Association emerged First Place in both the Quiz and Debate Competitions held on Friday, the 13th of September, 2024, at the 2024 Nigerian Medical Students’ Association (NiMSA) Regional Convention hosted at the Great Hall, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho.
The competitions which were organised as part of the events of Day 2 of the 10th Annual Regional Convention, featured participation from six medical students’ associations in the Debate and eight, in the Quiz.
Due to a few hitches, the event kicked off behind schedule, with the Debate coming first. Debaters from the Olabisi Onabanjo University Medical Students’ Association (OOUMSA), Bowen University Association of Medical Students (BAMS), Ladoke Akintola University Medical Students’ Association (LAUMSA), Lagos State University Medical Students’ Association (LASUMSA), Federal University of Technology, Akure Medical Students’ Association (FUTAMSA), University of Medical Sciences Medical Students’ Association (UMSA), as well as UIMSA, spoke on the topic: The 21st Century Medical Students; Integration of Entrepreneurship into Medical Education, a necessity or a distraction?, under the American Presidential Debate format. There were three judges for this round including Oreoluwa Odutoye, Vice President (External), NiMSA, and Praise Ogunleke.
At the end of the debate, UIMSA, represented by a team of speakers, Eriomala John and Abraham Miracle, and researcher, Precious Idiaye, emerged First with 174.3 points, ahead of BAMS and LAUMSA, with 163.37 points and 154.67 points, respectively. The top three teams also qualified to represent the South-West in the finals at the National Convention holding later this year.
The Quiz competition began shortly after with participation from the aforementioned MSAs, excluding, FUTAMSA, and including the University of Ilorin Medical Students’ Association (ILUMSA) and the Ekiti State University Medical Students’ Association (EKSUMSA). The categories for the Quiz include General Knowledge, General Science, Basic Medical Science, Basic Clinical Science, and Clinical Sciences, and a Blitz round involving fifteen questions from across all five previously mentioned categories.
After the first round, three MSAs — EKSUMSA (60 points), UMSA (64.5 points), and BAMS (67 points) — were eliminated, with five schools left to slug it out for the top three finish. At the end of the final round, UIMSA and LASUMSA were tied with 40 points, in a repeat of the 2022 edition of the competition which UIMSA had won.
This led to a three-question ‘Fastest and Best’ tie-breaker segment with UIMSA eventually emerging victorious. UIMSA was represented by members of the Royal Quiz Club including the President, Inioluwa John, Obiekwe Franklin, Adesina Ayomide, Oludele Hallelujah, Mbaonu Daniels, Oyegbile Raphael and Victor Femi-Lawal; the latter two acting as coaches.
Speaking with the Press, Raphael Oyegbile said, “Going into the competition, we knew we had an heritage to preserve and we were never in doubt of our capability. Even when it seems like we didn’t start on a very good note, because of some irregularities. The team spirits was held up high which I believed was what handed us this award and You will agree with me that It is not out of place to say that this NIMSA SW Quiz competition is our birthright“.
With this victory, UIMSA becomes the first team to win the Quiz title at three consecutive conventions (8th Regional Convention at ABUAD ‘22 and 9th Regional Convention at OOU ‘23). They will be joined by LASUMSA at the Nationals.