The honourable Minister of youths and sports development Chief Sunday Dare, has flag off 26th edition of Nigerian University Games Association, NUGA 2022 with the lighting of the NUGA Torch of Unity,.
He also unveiled the Games’ mascot, christened “Kaddi”.
He said the mascot highlights the coexistence of sports and education.
“I am glad that through the effort of the school’s vice chancellor and his team, UNILAG will be hosting the 26th edition of the NUGA Games. That will give our younger generation, the youth, who are the students opportunity to compete in about 28 different sports,” he said.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports will be watching through our 38 different sports federations the talents, stars that NUGA 2022 will produce. And then, we will take them up and serve them to the world to represent Nigeria at the All African Games, Commonwealth Games, Olympics, and other international competitions.
“We thank the President for reclassifying sports as business. Before, sports was mere a creation, but in Nigeria today, sports is business. So, through the value chain of sports, as an athlete, as medical personnel, as a writer, as broadcaster; sports is alive in this country now,” he added.
Also speaking, the UNILAG’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, thanked the minister for motivating the University management to bid for the hosting rights of the NUGA Games.
Ogundipe said the games would serve as a means of transform sports in Nigeria.
“NUGA Games is about our students and we want to showcase UNILAG students as one of the best all over the world best in terms of sports, academics, innovation and in the area of entrepreneurship,” he said.
“UNILAG had hosted the event three times, first in 1968, second in 1978 and third some10 years after with the university coming first in 1988 and 1998.
“So, we are hosting this coming one with determination to come first again,” he added.
He, however, asked individuals, philanthropists, industry chiefs, corporate organisations and various state governments to join hands with the university by supporting financially and in kind to make the event a huge success.
The flag off, which took place at JF Ade Ajayi auditorium, was fully attended by academics, musicians and students respectively.
