UNILORIN to participate in World University Games, says VC
UNILORIN to participate in World University Games, says Egbewole
Amanna
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has announced that staff and students of the institution will actively participate in the upcoming World University Games.
Prof. Egbewole made this commitment last Wednesday (May 22, 2024) when he received a delegation from the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) that visited the University ahead of their participation at a Nigerian University Staff Sports Association (NUSSA) handing over ceremony from the University of Ilorin to Bayero University, Kano.
The Vice Chancellor, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Technology and Innovations), Prof. Adegboyega Adisa Fawole, said the aim and vision of the Most Outstanding University in Nigeria are ambitious and it was to ensure that staff and students of the University compete with their contemporaries across the world.
Prof. Egbewole, who encouraged the University staff and students to be more involved in sporting activities, said that the management, under his stewardship, recognises that sports is essential for maintaining good health because it contributes to the physical, medical, and mental well being of the enthusiasts.
The Vice Chancellor assured the delegates that the University would settle all necessary levies for participation at university games nationally and internationally and expressed confidence that the UNILORIN contingent would continue to make the institution proud.
He, however, observed that universities that are part of the Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA) should benefit from membership, not only in sports but also through academic and intellectual collaboration, saying that he looked forward to these opportunities.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the NUGA delegation, who is also the Chairman, Federal University of Technology, Minna Sport Council, Prof. Rasheed Ojutiku, expressed gratitude to the University of Ilorin authorities for hosting the 2019 Nigerian Universities Staff Sport Association (NUSSA) Game and for always supporting the Unilorin Sports Council.
The team leader noted that the support showered on the Unilorin Sport Council by the University administration was evident in the quality of representation at various games, both nationally and internationally. “We appreciate the support the University has shown over the years towards sports development at the University of Ilorin. Its representation at NUGA and other sporting activities, nationally and internationally, testifies to the support the sports council has been receiving,” Prof. Ojutiku said.
Giving the reason for the delay in the handing over of the baton of leadership of NUSSA Games, the team leader explained that there was supposed to be a meeting immediately after the successful hosting of the NUSSA Games by the University of Ilorin in 2019 in order to present reports and hand over the hosting rights to another university.
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He, however, noted that challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and industrial actions by university unions delayed this process, resulting in Prof. Uche Basil Eke, the Chairman of the 2019 NUSSA Games’ Local Organising Committee, becoming the longest-serving President of NUSSA.
While acknowledging the financial challenges faced by the institution, he was optimistic that the management of the University of Ilorin under Prof. Egbewole would continue to play a leadership and mentorship role by sponsoring staff and students to participate in games.
Also speaking, the Technical Chairman of NUGA, Prof. Musa Garba Yakasai, said staff games encourage cooperation among university staff and foster lasting relationships with staff from other institutions, “When we held staff games here, the participation of Unilorin staff added much glamour to the event,” he noted.
