By Ibrahim Adeyemo
The Ibadan Peace Club of Nigeria organised the BetterME Tournament (BMT) at Ajumobi Hall, Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, on 1 August 2026.
The event commenced at exactly 11:18 a.m.
The BetterME Tournament is a free one-day personal development programme for youths. The Ibadan Peace Club of Nigeria organises it as part of a global initiative under the World Peace Initiative Foundation, headquartered in Thailand.
The tournament utilises interactive challenges and competitive tasks based on the BetterME Model, developed by the World Peace Initiative Foundation, to promote mindfulness, self-discipline, and the development of positive habits.
Registration for the programme began in early July 2026, and participants were provided with study materials and videos to prepare before the tournament. A total of over 100 participants registered for the competition. Before the commencement of the programme, the organisers rearranged the participants.
The programme began with an opening acknowledgement by the Club Adviser, Mr Femi Adeyemi. He acknowledged the coaches, organisers, participants, and partner organisations, including the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
He informed the participants that the programme was not merely about competition but “a tool to help you understand the BetterME Model.”
This was followed by an Inner Peace Time session facilitated by Jesutofunmi Omideji, during which participants practised breathing exercises to help them relax and prepare mentally for the tournament.
Afterwards, the coach, Dr Binuyo Oluwatomiwa, welcomed everyone and stated that the Ibadan edition was the third BetterME Tournament held in Nigeria, following previous editions in Ilorin and Abeokuta.
He explained that the goal of the programme was not just to compete but to develop discipline and personal transformation.
“The goal of the programme is to learn, not just to compete, but to attain discipline and learn how to change yourself because everyone wants to change the world, but how can you do that without changing yourself first?”
The coach explained that the competition consisted of five rounds. The first round was a written objective test containing 30 questions to be completed within 30 minutes, after which the top 30 participants would qualify for the next stage. The second round consisted of 20 questions to be answered within 20 minutes, followed by the oral rounds leading to the semi-final and final stages.
The coach also introduced and acknowledged the programme partners, including the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Polaris Bank, and MTN. He further recognised the media partners, which included the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan (UCJ UI). During the acknowledgement, the UCJ UI representatives present were recognised: the General Secretary, Olajide Tikristi Joshua, and News Correspondent, Ibrahim Adeyemo.
The competition officially commenced with the distribution of answer booklets and question papers to participants. The coach emphasised that participants should avoid cancelling their answers and ensure that they wrote their names and unique identification numbers correctly.
At the end of the first round, the coach invited Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rufai Bankole of the Nigeria Police Force to deliver a keynote address. He spoke on the concept of peace, describing it as “a multidimensional concept”, and emphasised that peace is a collective responsibility.
This was followed by the display of the correction to the first-round questions on the large screen. The correction was presented through a recorded session featuring the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the World Peace Initiative Foundation, Ms Ping Ping Worakate.
After the correction, the coach invited participants to share their experiences and comments on the first round of the competition, to which several participants responded.
Another keynote address was delivered by DSC Adefeoye Olamide of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). She spoke on peace, explaining that peace is not merely the absence of violence or fear but also the ability to remain calm. She encouraged participants to be courageous, love themselves, and extend that love to others.
The announcement of the first-round results followed. Although only 30 participants were initially expected to qualify, a total of 36 participants advanced to the second round due to the high level of performance. It was also announced that only 18 participants would proceed to the third round.
The coach then invited BetterME Coach Femi to facilitate another Inner Peace Time session before the commencement of the second round of the competition.
The second round then commenced with participants answering 20 questions within 20 minutes.
At the end of the second round, the coach invited the Oyo State Coordinator of the initiative, Giftmark, to deliver a keynote address. She presented a slide titled “Leading with Purpose: Building Your Better Self.”
During her presentation, she highlighted the three pillars of excellence, namely:
- Emotional resilience
- Decision-making
- Self-mastery
Following her presentation, the correction to the second-round questions was displayed on the screen in the same manner as the first-round correction, featuring the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the World Peace Initiative Foundation, Ms Ping Ping Worakate.
The coach subsequently acknowledged the arrival of an official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Jeff Achichi.
The third round of the competition then commenced. The 18 qualified participants were paired into groups, with each participant given one minute and thirty seconds to respond to oral questions. The round was assessed by certified BetterMe coaches who had received training in Thailand.
At the end of the third round, and before the announcement of the results, the coach invited Mr Jeff Achichi of the NDLEA to deliver a keynote address. Speaking on drug abuse, he noted that many young people are increasingly involved in substance abuse and encouraged participants to stay away from drugs. He concluded his address with the statement:
“Say no to drugs and yes to life.”
Following the address, the results of the third round were announced. The qualifiers, who had been grouped alphabetically from A to I, were:
A2 – 8 points
B1 – 8 points
C2 – 7 points
D1 – 7 points
E2 – 7 points
F2 – 8 points
G2 – 7 points
H2 – 6 points
I2 – 0 points
The nine participants who did not qualify for the next stage were each presented with a cash prize of ₦5,000.
The competition then proceeded to the fourth round, involving the nine qualified participants. Each contestant was given one minute to answer the questions presented. At the end of the round, only three participants qualified for the final stage, while the remaining participants received a cash prize of ₦10,000 each.
The three finalists were:
- Emmanuel Aina
- Emmanuel Ademola
- Oreoluwa Olumuyiwa
Before the commencement of the final round, the finalists were given five minutes to brainstorm and prepare for the questions assigned to them.
The final round was highly captivating and competitive. At its conclusion, Emmanuel Ademola emerged as the overall winner of the BetterMe Tournament.
The prizes were presented as follows:
Second Runner-up: Emmanuel Aina – ₦75,000
First Runner-up: Oreoluwa Olumuyiwa – ₦150,000
Winner: Emmanuel Ademola – ₦300,000
Following the closing of the event, the winner, Emmanuel Ademola, was interviewed. When asked how he felt after winning the competition, he described the experience as unreal, explaining that he had only imagined reaching the semi-final stage.
When further asked whether he believed he would emerge as the winner before the competition began, he stated that he had never expected to win. However, he credited the encouragement and support of his friends for motivating him to believe in himself throughout the competition.
Dr Binuyo Oluwatomiwa, a certified BetterME Coach, leader with the World Peace Initiative Foundation, and trainer affiliated with the Foundation, was also interviewed. Speaking on his role and the success of the event, he explained that the tournament had continued to improve with each edition.
Comparing the Ibadan edition with the previous tournaments held in Abeokuta and Ilorin, he stated that hosting the event at Nigeria’s premier university further demonstrated its impact, as evidenced by the enthusiasm and participation of the contestants.
The event concluded with group photographs involving the participants, volunteers, organisers, guests, and other attendees around 5PM.
