Ganiyat
Debate Coach · Adjudicator · Equity Officer
Hire this person
Send a job offer directly to this candidate
About
Debate coach with four years of experience developing speakers at university and secondary school level across BP, WSDC, and AP formats. Coached 50+ students across UILDC and the Faculty of Law debate programme at the University of Ilorin, producing multiple breaking teams, Top 10 Speaker awardees, and the 2026 Interfaculty Debate Champions.
Coaching philosophy centres on two fundamentals: teaching speakers to construct arguments through precise comparisons, and training them to internalise what judges actually evaluate. Also an active circuit adjudicator and equity officer, with international judging experience across West Africa, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Experience
Debate Coach - UILDC — University of Ilorin Debate Club - Ilorin, Nigeria
(2022-01)
- Developed 50+ speakers across three years through structured, three-day-a-week training sessions with groups of up to 20 students.
- Coaching methodology: argument construction through comparative analysis, and developing speakers' ability to anticipate and satisfy judge evaluation criteria.
- Coached teams that broke and reached elimination rounds at multiple open tournaments — including Lavida Open 2024 (3rd breaking, Semi-Finals, 4th Best Speaker), Uganda Easter Debate IV (Finalist, 6th breaking), and Ignite 2.0 (Semi-Finals, 6th breaking).
- Students from UILDC training contributed to the Faculty of Law team winning the 2026 University of Ilorin Interfaculty Debate Championship — the first interfaculty title for the faculty.
- Individual speaker development through targeted feedback on argument framing, extension strategy, whip construction, and rebuttal.
Debate Coach - Moot, Quiz & Debate Society — Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin - Ilorin, Nigeria
(2023-01)
- Coach for the Faculty of Law debate programme; all teams entered broke, with one reaching the Grand Finals.
- Mentored speakers to Top 10 Speaker Awards and judging breaks at interfaculty level.
- Collaborated with UILDC to develop students active in both programmes — including members of the 2026 Interfaculty Championship-winning team.
- Sessions cover: motion analysis, stakeholder mapping, extension strategy, and clash prioritisation.
Debate Coach - Roemichs High School - Nigeria
(2021-01 - 2022-12)
- Designed and delivered a foundational debate curriculum for beginner secondary school students, covering argument structure, delivery, and competitive format rules.
- Students progressed from zero competitive experience to tournament qualification and school-wide recognition within one academic year.
- Delivered one-on-one feedback sessions focused on confidence, poise, and content engagement — skills that transferred directly into competitive performance.
Adjudicator - Nigeria Tournament of Champions - Nigeria
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
BP format, 4 rooms. Judge for all rounds. Breaking Adjudicator; Top 10 Judge.
Adjudicator - Word War VI - Nigeria
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
BP format, 13 rooms.
- Chair for all preliminary rounds; Panelist for Semis; Chair for Women Open Finals.
- 6th Best Judge.
Adjudicator - Summer Wars - Nigeria
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
BP format, 15+ rooms.
- Panelist 4/5 in-rounds, Chair 1 in-round; Panelist Quarter-Finals.
- Breaking Adjudicator; 7th Best Judge.
Adjudicator - 1962 Debate Open - Nigeria
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
BP format.
- Chair for all 5/5 in-rounds; Panelist for all out-rounds.
- 5th Best Judge.
Adjudicator - UCR IV - International
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
BP format, Invited tournament.
- Invited & Breaking Adjudicator.
- Chair 2/3 rounds; Panelist for Finals.
Adjudicator - Coolidge Cup Online Qualifier - International
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
BP format, International tournament.
- Chair for all 1v1 rounds — approximately 15 rooms.
Adjudicator - Western Canada BP - International
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
BP format, International tournament.
- Chaired and paneled 5 rounds including break rounds.
Adjudicator - Princeton WST - International
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
WSDC format, International tournament.
- Panelist for majority of preliminary rounds.
Adjudicator - Emirate Verbal Combat - International
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
BP format, International tournament.
- Chair for all preliminary rounds; Panelist for Grand Finals.
Adjudicator - Indian Pre-WUDC Fundraiser - International
(2022-01 - 2024-12)
GDC 2023, Ateneo, Hong Kong WSDC 4.0, International invitationals.
- Breaking judge and elimination-round panelist across four international invitationals.
Equity Officer - Transform Open Arena 2024 - Nigeria
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
16 rooms tournament.
- Managed inclusive environment protocols; handled clash reports and adjudicator conflict resolution.
Equity Officer - Emirate Vocal Combat - International
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
8 rooms tournament.
- Ensured fair team and adjudicator allocation across all rounds.
Tab Director & Lead Organiser - Word War 2024 - Nigeria
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
- End-to-end logistics, live draw generation, adjudicator coordination, and schedule management via Tabbycat.
Education
LL.B. - Law - University of Ilorin (2019-01 - 2026-12)