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The Faculty of Law at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, has recorded one of its best years yet in international advocacy, securing top results in three major mooting, debate and speech competitions held in 2026.
According to a statement from the Faculty’s Supervisor of Mooting, Advocacy and Debates, Commissioner Rashid Dumbuya Esq., Team FBC made indelible footprints, representing Sierra Leone across Africa this year.
At the 35th Christ of Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court Competition in July, held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast drew 117 universities, FBC was represented by Abraham Lappia (LLB 3) and Philip Buck Kamara (Diploma 2).
The team won all its oral rounds in the preliminaries against the University of Zambia, University of Zululand, Kampala University, and Uganda Christian University. Though they narrowly missed qualification to the Round of 16 with an aggregate score of 75 points, Kamara set a national record with an individual oral advocacy score of 89 points, the highest ever recorded by a Sierra Leonean at the competition.
Commissioner Dumbuya Esq. also served as one of the distinguished judges throughout the preliminary rounds. GIMPA University, Ghana, and the University of Thomas Sankara, Burkina Faso, emerged winners for the English and French categories, respectively. The 2027 competition will be held in Kenya.
FBC also came second overall in the just-concluded ECOWAS Regional Moot Court Competition featuring 21 universities.
Represented by Abraham Lappia (LLB 3) and Sulaiman M. Bonnie (LLB 4), and coached by Commissioner Dumbuya, the team defeated the University of Calabar, University of Benin and UNIMAK to reach the finals, where they faced Ebonyi State University, Nigeria.
Bonnie was further awarded Second Best Oralist in the competition. The Runners-Up plaque was received on behalf of FBC by Commissioner Dumbuya in Ivory Coast.
In the GIABA 9th Inter-Universities Speech Contest on AML/CFT and governance in West Africa, Fatmata Binta Bah (LLB 4) represented Sierra Leone alongside Njala University.
After qualifying with a 54% essay score on “Building a New Culture of Accountability to Eradicate Corruption,” Bah placed 3rd overall with 67.6% in the finals held on 22nd July at FBC. Nigeria and Ghana took 1st and 2nd.
For her performance, Bah received a brand new HP computer, certificate, plaque and $500 cash prize.
The Faculty credited its success to renewed leadership, technical training in Human Rights and International Law, and support from the University of Sierra Leone administration, the Dean Professor Alusine Jalloh, HoD Elder Fornah Sesay, and the Sierra Leone Ivorian Community, the Attorney General Alpha Sesay Esq., and other legal practitioners.
“Without any gainsaying, Mooting, Advocacy and Debate have taken an upward trajectory in the Faculty of Law FBC,” Commissioner Dumbuya said. “Our students are making waves and leaving indelible footprints on the shores of regional and international competitions.”
The Faculty also noted new partnerships formed with the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, and judges from the African and European Courts of Human Rights.
With lessons learnt from 2026, Team FBC says it is “hopeful and determined” to make an even bigger impact at next year’s African Moot in Kenya.
