Expert Makes Case for Sports in Unity Schools’ Curriculum

An industrialist, Jani Ibrahim, has called on the federal government to consider making sports an integral part of unity schools’ curriculum to ensure a balanced education.

Ibrahim said this during the opening of the 16th  FEDCOL Games, hosted by the Southwest zone, at the Federal Science and Technical College Yaba (FSTCY) Lagos.

Ibrahim, who was the chairman of the event, described sports as a major  underpinning factor of the unity of the country, especially in the face of the various challenges it is facing currently.

“It is great to see young ones coming together and meeting on this platform, to promote one very essential aspect of our national life, which is unity.”
Ibrahim called on the government to create adequate time and enough competitions for the unity schools, as that will further cement and create the binding force for national unity. “Remember that through these games too, new talents are discovered. These talents like the others discovered before now in various sports, bring a lot of recognition and financial rewards, both locally and globally, for the individual and the nation at large.”

According to him, Nigerians, just like other nations, usually set aside their differences, come together as one, to cheer and support anytime their national teams are participating at any international event. This he said should be the spirit and must be encouraged at every given opportunity.

The chairman also appealed to the federal government to do its best to continue supporting the FEDCOL Games, by putting in more resources to ensure that it become an avenue for young Nigerians to meet, mingle, share ideas, understand themselves and promote unity.

He commended the government for organising the games, irrespective of the security situation in the country, and applauded parents of the students for releasing their children to travel from various parts of the country to be part of the event.

In his remarks, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu commended the organisers of the games for a job well done, while assuring of his administration’s resolve in ensuring the sustainability of the biennial games.

The governor, who was the special guest of honour, was represented by the Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr Sola Aiyepeku.
He said sports remains the biggest and strongest binding factor and encouraged students to participate in sports whenever the opportunity presents.
“This is because it breeds so many other things such as discipline, networking, binding and a lot more,” he said.

The Principal, Federal Government College Iikin, Lagos, Tofunmi Akamo, said over 85 unity colleges were in attendance and they would participate in sporting activities like athletics, shot put, chess and other indoor games.

She said the essence of the game is to further sustain the vision and mission of the founding fathers.

Akamo, who is the chairman of chairmen of the unity schools, said that inculcating the virtues of tolerance, togetherness, peace and love in the youths, especially during the formative years, is key to the survival and development of any country.

She noted that the only avenue to achieve that is majorly through games, hence the need to encourage, promote  and sustain it.

“The games is a platform for students in all the unity colleges in the country to come together and interact with one another. We normally organise it every other year, round the six geopolitical zones, with intention to further assist in realizing the goals of the founding fathers.

“This is part of the reason for the establishment of the unity schools, to bring our children from diverse background together, in other words, foster unity in diversity, get them mix freely, learn from each other, as well as respect other people’s culture.

“We identified sports as one key way to a achieve this, as it is a great unifier. That bonding is what government expects from our children today, to have a united Nigeria, because as we all know, the future of this country belongs to them,” she said.

She stated that the week long event will end on Friday, December 2.

The Principal, King’s College, Lagos, Mr. Andrew Agada expressed satisfaction with the turnout of the colleges for the games.

He noted that Nigeria would remain a force to be reckoned with if sports could be encouraged across all areas of life’s endeavour.

“Unity schools were established to further uphold the country as one. These schools bring children from diverse backgrounds and nuture them into being first an foremost a Nigerian, and that is what this FEDCOL Games is striving to achieve, over the years.

“The games has been great as every two years, we gather our children on this platform and showcase our unity in diversity. Even in 2020, the games still held in Port Harcourt before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This year, it is the turn of the South West. We take them round the various zones to see and get first hand information about the people, places and culture. So far,  It has been an exciting experience for all of us.

“It is however regrettable that we could not have most of the colleges in the Northeast and Northwest, following the security challenges over there but I know very soon, things will normalise,” he stated.