Around 120 universities from Nigeria and 36 others across Africa have begun arriving in Lagos for the 11th All-Africa University Games, co-hosted by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Lagos State University (LASU) from Friday, September 20, until September 29.
The opening ceremony will take place at the UNILAG Sports Complex on Saturday, marking the event’s return to Nigeria for the first time in 20 years.
Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, UNILAG Vice Chancellor, stated that the Games will help showcase Nigeria’s cultural heritage among the African university community.
“We aim to create an engaging atmosphere similar to that of NUGA. The advantage of hosting FASU now is that we have a successful template from our last hosting of NUGA.
“We are actively raising awareness and encouraging student involvement while highlighting Nigeria’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. Co-hosting with LASU alleviates some of the responsibilities, and we have support from the Lagos State Government,” she said.
To promote the Games, the UNILAG Communications Unit organized a roadshow on Thursday to raise awareness on campus.
Joseph Awoyinfa, the Director of Sports at UNILAG, confirmed that all facilities are ready for the Games.
“We will host about 17 sports, including football, cricket, swimming, basketball, handball, and tennis, while all indoor games will take place at LASU,” he noted.
“We have three basketball courts, and our indoor hall has been refurbished. Notably, our swimming pool is equipped with a switch timer that automatically records swimmers’ times upon entry,” he said.
Nigeria previously hosted the third FASU Games in 2004 at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi. This edition is particularly significant as it marks the first joint hosting by two universities.