Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to take the lead in the 26th edition of the Nigerian Universities Games (NUGA).
Sanwo-Olu gave the charge when he received the 2022 Nigerian Universities Games (NUGA) ”Torch of Unity” at Lagos House, Marina on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Torch of Unity was presented to the governor by a delegation from UNILAG, the host university.
The delegation included the institution’s Pro-Chancellor, Sen. Lanre Tejuoso and Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Toyin Ogundipe, among other top management staff of the institution.
The Nigerian Universities Games, scheduled to hold between March 16 and 26, will be city games, as sports competitions would take place inside the UNILAG campus and other sports facilities in Lagos State.
The governor congratulated the management of UNILAG for winning the hosting rights of NUGA 2022.
He also urged students and the youths to use the games as a platform to discuss more on what Nigeria’s unity, peace building and nation building.
According to him, the sports competition will further bring about unity and togetherness among students and youths from different parts of Nigeria since more than 10,000 participants are expected.
He said that his administration would continue to use sports as a rallying point to project the tourism potentials of the state.
The governor said that the state government would provide an enabling environment for sports and youth development, as well as utilise the tourism potentials of Lagos to build future leaders.
Sanwo-Olu also gave assurance that the Lagos State Government would support the games with human and material resources.
Speaking on his administration’s commitment to sports and youth development, the governor disclosed that currently, the state government was constructing nine sporting facilities across the state to boost sports and unity.
In his remark, the UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ogundipe, said the Nigerian Universities Games would go beyond sports.
He said the games would also boost the tourism potential of Lagos State, with more than 10,000 students and officials expected as participants.
Ogundipe appealed to Lagos State Government to support NUGA 2022 through the provision of security and transportation facilities, as well as other state facilities that could be used during the event.
He also appealed to the Ministry of Tourism to assist in ensuring that visitors feel the tourist potential of Lagos State, noting that the NUGA was not only about UNILAG but Lagos State.
