By Nasir Shuaibu, Bauchi
Dolphin Maria International School, Bauchi, has emerged champion of the 2026 11th edition of the NILDS National Quiz Competition for Senior Secondary Schools on Legislation and Democracy.
The school’s success came after a closely fought contest with Government Girls Arabic College, Alkaleri, which pushed the eventual winner to a re-run after both schools scored 35 points in the initial final.
Dolphin Maria went on to score 45 points in the re-run, defeating GGAC Alkaleri, which recorded 40 points to finish second.
Government Day Secondary School, Dagu, in Warji Local Government Area, came third with 30 points.
The victory highlighted the importance of preparation and reading as participants at the competition urged students to develop the habit of reading and make productive use of their free time.
Some participants, including Ali Muhammad Ali Abubakar, Aishatu Aliyu and Misbada, attributed their preparation to the encouragement and guidance received from their Government teacher.
They also advised other students to cultivate regular reading habits to improve their knowledge and confidence in academic competitions.
The competition, organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in collaboration with the Bauchi State Ministry of Education, brought together six secondary schools to test students’ knowledge of legislation, democracy and governance.
Speaking at the event, Bauchi State Commissioner for Education, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, represented by the Director of Quality Assurance, Hassan Sulaiman, said civic education was important in preparing young Nigerians for responsible participation in democratic governance.
He urged the students to focus on learning and see the competition as an avenue to broaden their knowledge, rather than concentrating only on winning.
The NILDS Director-General, represented by Engr. Adamu Yahaya Abdulhamid, said the competition had been held for 11 years to promote awareness of legislative and democratic processes among secondary school students.
He said civic education could help young people develop critical-thinking skills and address challenges such as political apathy, misinformation and intolerance.
Dolphin Maria received N70,000 for winning the competition, while the second- and third-place schools received N50,000 and N20,000 respectively.
