Apkevwe had never left her hometown of Oleh in the Niger Delta. The rivers, mangroves, and oil rigs were all she knew, along with the sharp truth that her community had many needs but little attention.

So when her debate team won a regional contest and got invited to Abuja, the capital, Apkevwe could hardly believe it.

“This is your chance to speak where decisions are made,” her uncle said, placing a red scarf gently over her shoulder. “Speak for those who are not heard.”

The bus ride to Abuja felt like a dream. When they arrived, Apkevwe was stunned. Wide roads, clean buildings, bright lights, and water that ran from every tap.

“This doesn’t look like Nigeria,” she whispered.

Her teacher smiled sadly. “It is. But not everyone sees this part.”

At the conference center, Apkevwe met children from different regions: the boy from Borno who learned under trees because his school had no roof, the girl from Lagos with