Platform College, Ayobo, Lagos, has emerged winner of the inter-school debate at The Encounter 2026 Symposium, taking home a ₦500,000 cash prize at the event held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Government Senior College, Agege, finished second with 79.5 per cent and received ₦300,000, while Mandate Private School placed third with 75.5 per cent, earning ₦200,000.

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Platform College secured the top position with 87.6 per cent in the debate, which focused on the topic, “AI: A Friend or Enemy of African Youths?”

The symposium, convened by veteran broadcaster Seun Oyedeji, was held under the theme, “AI for Good: From Innovation to Impact”, and featured renowned comedian and entrepreneur Ali Baba as its headline speaker.

Ali Baba spoke on “AI and the Future of Africa’s Creative Economy”, examining how artificial intelligence could reshape entertainment, content production and entrepreneurship across the continent.

He was joined by the Director-General of Quality Assurance at the Lagos State Ministry of Education, Dr Sulaiman Olagoke Ogunmuyiwa, who encouraged students and young Nigerians to embrace AI for learning, research and innovation.

However, Ogunmuyiwa urged them to exercise caution against misinformation, online dangers and excessive dependence on the technology.

Oyedeji described the symposium as timely, noting that artificial intelligence had become an increasingly important part of modern life, with far-reaching implications for education, communication and society.

She acknowledged its benefits in research, creativity and information dissemination but warned that irresponsible use could encourage misinformation and digital deception.

“Artificial intelligence is good. It has come to make life easier for us. It is a blessing, but it could become a curse if we are not intentional about how we deploy it,” she said.

The convener also expressed concern about children’s growing exposure to digital devices, observing that some were already finding ways to bypass parental controls.

She urged parents to monitor the digital platforms their children use, consider appropriate ages for introducing them to devices and encourage responsible engagement with technology.

Oyedeji further cautioned that excessive reliance on AI could weaken creativity, originality and independent thinking. She maintained that the technology should support human intelligence rather than replace it.

One of the student participants, Ezekiel David of Platform College, described artificial intelligence as more of a friend than an enemy, arguing that it could help young people gain knowledge, adapt to emerging trends and prepare for a changing economy.

Other schools that participated in the debate included Pinefield Schools, Lekki; Sanya Secondary School, Surulere; and Giggles High School, Egbeda, all in Lagos.

Oyedeji said the symposium was designed to encourage young people to explore the positive uses of artificial intelligence while resisting pressure to deploy it for harmful purposes.

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She expressed optimism that responsible adoption of the technology would empower Nigerian youths to develop innovative solutions to challenges facing the country and the wider world.