2022 NUGA Games: Fashola Restates FG’s Commitment To Sports Development In Nigeria
...... As Minister receives Torch of Unity for the games from UNILAG’s Local Organizing Committee
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Thursday restated the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to Sports Development in the country saying the administration has innovatively included Sports in the National Economic Development programme.
Fashola, who spoke at the Mabushi Headquarters of the Ministry when he hosted the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Local Organizing Committee of Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) who came to present the Unity Torch for this year’s NUGA games, described the game as “one of the many items of National Integration and Development”.
Noting that such events as sports festivals, academical games and so many other activities in the nation’s institutions represented efforts to reposition the youths for leadership and other national development roles, the Minister declared, “We must never underestimate the roles that the events played in defining the character of young men and women who are now leaders of today”.
“We cannot have youth unemployment if we do what we should do with sports development”, the Minister said adding that the strategy was that “those that these critical games have produced will, through their camping and travels across the country, help national cohesion, help to break down barriers, help to produce trust”, adding that it would also “help us to see all of ourselves as the same after-all even if we worship differently and speak different languages”.
Commending the Minister of Sports and Youths Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, for securing the approval of the Federal Executive Council to include Sports in the National and Economic Programme, Fashola recalled, “It was a tough game to get Council to agree, but finally it is now part of our National and Economic programme”, adding that Sports is more than just the exercise, but also an economy.
He also commended the University of Lagos for its efforts in taking the Torch of Unity across the country saying the effort would “bring into the consciousness of those who matter that this is something that all of us must support”.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the purpose of the visit was to invite the Minister to the NUGA Games 2022 adding that the presentation of the Torch of Unity was to create awareness ahead of the Games.
Describing the Minister as a Sports Lover, the UNILAG Vice Chancellor recalled the numerous contributions to Sports and football development in Lagos State when he was Governor of the State adding that about 75 Nigerian universities would participate in this year’s Games while 50 others would come from outside the country as observers.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the Torch for 2022 NUGA Games to the Minister by his Sports and Youth Development counterpart and a group photograph with the delegation and other guests.
