March 24, 2026 In Newsroom By WACSI
University of Ghana Clinches Victory at Maiden Inter-University Shifting the Power Debate
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[Accra, Ghana, 8 March 2026] – The University of Ghana emerged triumphant at the 2026 Ghana Inter-University Shifting the Power Debate, in a thrilling two-day intellectual showdown held on 2 and 3 March 2026 in Accra.
Organised by the West Africa Civil Society Institute, WACSI, and STAR-Ghana Foundation, under the Shifting the Power programme, the competition brought together nearly 150 of Ghana’s brightest students and debaters from the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, Ashesi University, and the University for Development Studies.
The debates were broadcast live on Channel One Television, keeping the nation glued to the action.
The preliminary rounds were a high-intensity clash of ideas. Over six rounds, teams sparred over whether Ghanaian knowledge systems should guide development, whether communities should manage essential public services, and whether governments must secure consent from local populations before approving major environmental projects.
Lawrence Obeng from KNUST
Lawrence Obeng of KNUST topped the preliminaries, closely pursued by Agbedanu Woelorm Kwaku of the University of Ghana. After a tense contest, the University of Ghana and KNUST emerged as the top two teams and advanced to the grand finale.
The finale on 3 March produced a nail-biting showdown. Agbedanu Woelorm Kwaku of the University of Ghana opened with a rallying call, “It is about time to shift the power back to the local actors.” Lawrence Obeng of KNUST countered sharply, “At the point in time, when there is nothing restricting the partners, they are likely to take advantage of the system.”
The debate intensified as students proposed bold, innovative solutions. Akua Afriyie Ofori-Atta of the University of Ghana asked, “Why should the donor tell the NGO what to do when the NGOs are the ones who know better the context in which they work?”
Eugenia Afua Adoma Atta-Sonno of the University of Ghana
Eugenia Afua Adoma Atta-Sonno of the University of Ghana added, “NGOs are not irrational actors,” landing the decisive line, “If a solution is not working and it is taking away your autonomy and voice, why do you continue proposing the same solution?”
KNUST responded with strong counters. David-Elorm Sampson Mensah of KNUST noted, “Failures in fiscal spending and extreme spending are part of the reasons why countries go for external loans,” while Lawrence Obeng added, “When donors find out that funds were redirected to other projects, they start cutting off funding, and the people who are actually supposed to get the funding do not.”
The University of Ghana’s victory secures a place at the Pan-African Finale on 30 March, where it will face Copperbelt University from Zambia and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources from Malawi.
Dr. Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, Executive Director, WACSI
Speaking on behalf of the conveners, Dr. Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, Executive Director, WACSI, praised the competitors, “We already have the solutions in our people, youth, and system. True victory is about the awakening of minds. Ghana’s youth are not passive observers. The power is here.”
The debate demonstrated that Ghanaian youth are not just thinkers. They are champions of local leadership, innovators of new development models, and ready to challenge traditional systems to reshape Ghana’s future.
This initiative aligns perfectly with WACSI’s broader strategic vision as a systems change enabler.
The Shifting the Power Inter-University Debate is funded by Comic Relief and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom.
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