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Two University of Sussex students, Miama Iddisah and Daniella Oduro, have won a prestigious debating competition on the future of African relations at the Houses of Parliament, beating finalists from LSE, Oxford and Queen Mary.

The grand final of the 2026 Inter-University Africa Debates challenged students to consider whether reparative justice should form a central pillar of the UK's relations with African countries. Miama and Daniella impressed judges with a thoughtful argument against the motion, leading to their win.

Opposing a motion on reparative justice takes real care, and the third-year Sussex students started from common ground: the slave trade and colonialism caused grave harm, and reparations are owed. Daniella and Miama’s winning case was about where reparations belong, not whether they are deserved. They argued that making reparations the central pillar of the UK’s partnership would not deliver for Africans in the way it should. Instead, the partnership should rest on fair exchange. That means fairer trade, better investment and a fair share of the value from Africa’s critical minerals, while Africa pursues reparations together as a united front. Their closing line offered a neat summary: “Never forget the pain. Never bargain with it.”

Daniella said: “Winning the competition was an incredibly rewarding experience. The final motion challenged us to engage with difficult questions about historical injustice, accountability and the future of UK-Africa relations. It reinforced for me that debating is not simply about defending a position, but about questioning assumptions, examining different perspectives and thinking critically about the policies that shape our world. I’m proud of what we achieved as a team and grateful for the opportunity to have been part of such a meaningful experience.”

Miama said: “The journey from the qualifiers to the final pushed us to think on our feet, adapt our arguments and work closely together under pressure. Competing against such talented debaters made the experience even more rewarding. I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished together and grateful for the opportunity to represent the University of Sussex on a national stage.”

The championships are organised by the Programme for African Leadership at the LSE Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, in partnership with the Royal African Society and Fortune Favours Productions. They began at LSE in 2024 to give students a serious platform for debating the questions shaping Africa’s future, in front of the policymakers and leaders who can act on them.

In the final students from the University of Oxford came second, LSE third and Queen Mary University of London fourth.

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