As the Season 2 MTN Champs kicks off in Ibadan the Oyo state capital on Friday, no fewer than 2,600 young athletes are expected to participate in the Nigeria’s premier Schools’ Athletics Championships, following it’s successful kickoff in Asaba.
The event is an in initiative and dynamic platform by MTN Nigeria that nurtures competitive spirit of young athletes across four distinct age categories: Cadet (U14), Youth (U17), Junior (U20), and the newly introduced Senior (no age limit).
Speaking in Ibadan at a press conference, the General Manager, Segment and Devices, MTN, Idowu Adesokan said the initiative was borne out of needs to meet dreams and aspirations of young Nigerians who intend to marry athletes with their education.
He noted that MTN is set to invest on young Nigerians so that they can discover their talents and make use of it.
In his remark, the Founder, Making of Champions MOC, Bambo Akani lauded the state government for it’s effort towards uplifting sport activities in the state.
He stated that with the sport event, Nigeria has begin to wake up as a sporting nation, adding that the event would assist the nation to discovered it’s talent being one of the top three athletic nations in Africa.
He described the event as a nation building and life changing exercise for kids, saying one of the aim of the event was to support Nigeria core values and making future of the nation in Olympic brighter.
In her remark, the Commissioner for Youth and Sport in Oyo State, Wasilat Adegoke commended commitment of MTN for the socio- economic emancipation of youths across the country ,adding that it will no doubt ,bring opportunities to young Oyo state children who would naturally not have gotten the access or capacity to be trained or discovered without the kind of platform presented by MTN.
She however urged well meaning Nigerians and private organisations to leverage on the ease of doing business in the state created by governor Seyi Makinde and partner with the state government.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in the state, Prof. Salihu Adelabu called for strong synergy between the ministry of education and that of youth and sports adding that the state government takes seriously extra curricular activities in schools across the state.
Adelabu who frowned at the rate at which talents are being wasted in the country, noted that sport remained one of the veritable tools for national development, unity and love.
Dignitaries at the event include the Regional Implementation Manager, Momo PSB, Temitope Akarah, Director of Sports Administration, Oyo State Ministry of Sports, Bisi Adegoke.
Others are Oba Dairo Jacob Olutayo Fadairo, Permanent Special Adviser to the Nigerian School Sports Federation, State Coordinator, NSSF, Sunday Akinosun, an Olympian, Enoch Adegoke, and Deji Aliu, Head Coach, Making of Champions among others.