In its bid to deepen knowledge of legislative and democratic governance among secondary school students, the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has concluded the 10th edition of the National Quiz Competition on Legislature and Democracy.

At the grand finale held on Thursday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Model College, Ilorin, emerged as the winner of the competition.

Arewa PUNCH reports that during the grand finale, the school clinched the top spot with 45 points, while Queen Elizabeth School, also in Ilorin, finished as first runners-up with 40 points.

Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman represented by Hajiya Sofiyat Solagberu affirmed that the aim of the initiative was to deepen students' understanding of legislative and democratic governance.

He said, "As a critical organ of our nation's democracy, enhancing the knowledge of young Nigerians in the legislature will not only foster inclusive and participatory legislature in Nigeria but will also serve as an avenue for citizen engagement in the legislative process."

Sulaiman explained that the quiz competition, which began in 2016 with schools from the Federal Capital Territory, was expanded nationwide in 2022 following the directive of the Institute's Governing Council.

"This year's edition is the fourth to be held at the national level," he noted.

The DG urged students and teachers to abide by the rules of the competition to achieve its objectives.

While also speaking, the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, represented by Hon. Baba Saliu, the Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Human Development, commended NILDS for sustaining the programme.

He described it as a platform for empowering young minds with knowledge of legislative duties, which he said would inspire them to play active roles in democratic governance in the future.

A teacher from the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Model College, Mr James Oyedokun, expressed delight at the students' performance, noting that the victory was a product of discipline and hard work.

He said, "We are proud of our students for demonstrating such brilliance. This competition has not only tested their knowledge but has also exposed them to the importance of legislative governance.

"We believe this experience will stay with them as they grow into responsible citizens."

Our correspondent further reports that the NILDS, which was established by an Act of the National Assembly, serves as the training, research, and capacity-building arm of the legislature.

The Institute has over the years championed civic education programmes aimed at bridging the knowledge gap between citizens and parliament, with the quiz competition considered one of its flagship initiatives to prepare future leaders for active participation in Nigeria's democracy.