NUGA Games 2025: Unijos VC Briefs NSC Boss On Preparation

AFOLABI SAHEED OLAWALE 

Vice-Chancellor of University of Jos, Prof. Tanko Ishaya was at the NSC Secretariat to brief the National Sports Commission Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko on the institution’s preparations towards hosting the NUGA Games from April 26 this year.

The NSC Chairman seized the opportunity to reiterate the Commission’s resolve, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, to revive NUGA in particular, and schools sports in general.

His words, “Mr. President has given us the mandate to take sports to the grassroots and schools sports is at the heart of this assignment. It must be noted that 38% of the medals at the last Olympics in France were won by University undergraduates. This is why we have to make sure that the standard of NUGA Games is top notch. If we get it right at that level, it will go a long way to secure the future of our sports.”

He was impressed with the updates on the facilities and the institution’s disposition towards hosting a successful Games and had words of encouragement for the VC.

“We are looking at having one center of excellence in each of the six geopolitical zones. The process to select the centers is on and if you continue along this trajectory, who knows, UNIJOS could be one of the centers”, he said.

To host a memorable Games, an ultramodern multipurpose sports complex which is about 70% completed is being constructed while two consultants have been engaged to secure private support for the Games.

According to Prof. Ishaya, the efforts being made to construct the state-of-the-art facilities is geared towards making the institution a sports hub in Nigeria, technically and academically by starting delineate sports management courses and degrees in the University.

To actualize the sports hub ambitions, they are partnering with National Sports University South Korea. The university will also collaborate with other institutions of sporting excellence abroad especially the Center for International Sports Studies (CIS) in Neuchatel, Switzerland.

Hosting the Games is part of the institution’s wider plans for sports which would see it feature about ten sports courses including sports medicine, sports law, sports management, sports psychology and sports science etc in the academic aspect. The VC also confirmed the interest of University of Jos to host one of the Centres of excellence being planned by the NSC.

The NUGA Council meeting billed for Jos on January 28 and 29 is slated to discuss and evaluate the institution’s readiness to host the Games.

Furthermore, Prof. Ishaya extended an invitation to the NSC Chairman to visit the institution for facilities inspection so as to know how the Commission can assist the institution in its quest to become a sports hub.