Government Science Secondary School, Tungamaji, Abuja, has emerged as the Group C champion of the I Beg To Differ Season Nine Tournament of Champions after defeating Pleroma International High School, Port Harcourt, in a closely contested debate on sugar taxation and public health.
The Abuja school secured a 76.3 – 72.7-point victory over Pleroma after three rounds of debating consisting of the argument, rebuttal, and closing submission, with the audience vote also contributing to the final outcome.
The debate, with the motion “Sugar Taxes Improve Public Health,” brought together two unbeaten schools, with both sides entering the contest with six points each from earlier group matches.
Pleroma International High School, represented by 15-year-old Akeju Wemimo Temidara and 13-year-old Michelle Oluchi Uzoma, argued in favour of sugar taxes, maintaining that higher prices for sugar-sweetened products could discourage excessive consumption and reduce the burden of preventable diseases.
The school said sugar consumption had become a growing public health concern, linking excessive intake to conditions including diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
Pleroma argued that taxation could also push manufacturers to reformulate products by reducing their sugar content, pointing to experiences in countries such as the United Kingdom, Mexico, South Africa and Mauritius.
The team further maintained that revenue generated from sugar taxes could support health care, diabetes screening and nutrition education if properly allocated.
Making the case for prevention, Pleroma said the cost of treating chronic diseases could far exceed the financial impact of taxation on consumers.
The opposition, Government Science Secondary School, represented by 16-year-old Ruth Nmasi Chikwere and 14-year-old Godwin Omanibe Agatha, challenged the effectiveness and fairness of the policy.
The Abuja school argued that sugar taxes could disproportionately affect low-income Nigerians already struggling with high inflation and rising food prices.
It also questioned whether targeting sugar-sweetened beverages would significantly improve public health when many common Nigerian staples, including rice, yam, bread and other carbohydrate-rich foods, are also converted into glucose in the body.
The opposition further argued that Nigeria's existing levy on sugar-sweetened beverages was too low to significantly influence consumer behaviour, while raising concerns about the transparency and use of revenue generated from the tax.
During the rebuttal round, Government Science Secondary School maintained that sugar taxes could encourage consumers to switch to cheaper alternatives without necessarily reducing unhealthy consumption.
Pleroma countered that the problem was not the concept of sugar taxation but the strength and design of the policy, arguing that a more effective tax could produce stronger health outcomes.
The final round saw both teams shift from the technical arguments to the broader question of how government should balance public health, individual choice and economic realities.
Pleroma urged the judges to prioritise prevention, arguing that reducing excessive sugar consumption could help protect children, families and the health care system from avoidable diseases.
Government Science Secondary School, however, maintained that Nigeria should focus on health education, stronger hospitals and preventive health programmes rather than imposing additional financial pressure on consumers.
The adjudicators gave Government Science Secondary School a narrow advantage across the three rounds, with the Abuja team scoring 70.5 points compared with Pleroma's 68.5.
Audience voting also favoured Government Science Secondary School, giving the school 58% of the vote against Pleroma's 42%.
The final combined score stood at 76.3 points for Government Science Secondary School and 72.7 points for Pleroma International High School.
The victory means Government Science Secondary School advances as Group C champion, while Pleroma International High School moves forward as runner-up.
The result marked Pleroma's first defeat in the competition after its earlier unbeaten run, but the school's speakers were encouraged to use the experience as preparation for the next stage.
The Group C contest was part of the final phase of the group matches ahead of the Round of 12, with the tournament now moving closer to its knockout stages.
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