By Agency Report

In a heart-warming display of commitment to ensuring athletic excellence, the Nasarawa State Government, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, on Tuesday, donated an array of sports kits to the Federal University of Lafia, FU-Lafia.

The donation which comprised an assortment of high-quality sports equipment and kits, including male and female football jerseys; male and female basketball jerseys; male and female Volleyball jerseys(total of 112 pairs); five pieces of football, three pieces of basketball, three pieces of volleyball, two pieces of handball, two pairs of football goalposts’ nets, a set of handball goalposts nets, five pairs of spike shoes for athletics, two badminton rackets, two packs of badminton shuttle calls, and a set of football field corner flags, was presented by the Commissioner, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, who was represented by the Ministry’s Head of Public Relations, Mr. Eche Amos.

In his remarks, the Commissioner highlighted the Ministry’s unrelenting quest to create an enabling environment that would facilitate the holistic development of sports in the State.

He noted that Governor Abdullahi Sule, in his continuous support for sports and talent development in the State, had magnanimously approved funds for the procurement of the items following the request by the University authority through the Ministry, with the high expectations that the items would help to give identity to athletes and officials of the Institution and boost their confidence to excel at sporting competitions.

Kwanta stated that the gesture was part of the State Government’s broader strategy to identify, nurture, and harness the latent talents of Nigerian youth, with a view to projecting them onto the global sporting arena, emphasizing that the gesture would also help to create a culture of sports excellence in the University, thereby contributing to the overall development of the State’s sporting landscape.

The Commissioner assured that the Ministry and the State Government would continue to collaborate with the University community to achieve mutually beneficial goals, particularly in nurturing the next generation of leaders and sports icons.

Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Shehu Abdulrahman, in his remarks, lauded Governor Abdullahi Sule for providing funds to procure the items.

The Vice Chancellor also commended the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, and the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Alhassan, as well as Staff of the Ministry, for the initiative, describing it as a proof of the State Government’s undiluted commitment to the development of sports in the University and State as a whole.

He assured that the sports kits and equipment would be judiciously utilized to enhance the sporting capabilities of the Institution’s athletes, thereby projecting the University’s brand on the national and international stage.

Professor Abdulrahman appreciated the Director of Sports of the University, Dr. Isa Ozegya Mohammed, and his team, for going the extra mile to achieve the feat, urging other staff of the Institution to emulate them for the development of the University.

Earlier, the Director of Sports of the University, Dr. Isa Ozegya Mohammed, expressed gratitude to the Vice Chancellor and the University Authority for giving him and his team a level-playing ground to carry out their tasks effectively.

Ozegya equally thanked the Commissioner and entire Staff of the Ministry for supporting the University community to achieve success in sports and talent development.

Also present at the brief ceremony were Professor Ilemona Adofu(Director of Academic Planning), Dr. Ezekiel Obuje(Head of History Department), and Dr. Abdulkareem Alhassan(Acting Director, General Studies), all of the University.

Climax of the event was the formal presentation of the donated items to the Vice Chancellor and photography.