Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says there is the need to activate Nigerian youths to participate in nation-building through sports.

Mr Makinde said this on Friday during the finals of the maiden edition of the Basic Education Schools Sports (BESS), at the Olubadan Stadium in Ibadan.

Represented at the event by the State Commissioner for Education, Abdulwaheed Adelabu, the governor described youths as a mobile segment of the country’s population.

“Nigerian youths are the building blocks that must be nurtured through sports to acquire the requisite resilience to endure the pressure and strain of a competitive world.

“My administration is committed to the development of sports and has resolved to boost youth participation in grassroots sports,” he said. 

Governor Makinde noted that the competition’s goal was to develop the pupils’ skills and fish out new talents among them at the grassroots.

“This will enable them to represent the state at national and international competitions,” the governor said. 

He lauded the efforts of the competition’s organisers in working towards actualising the vision of his administration.

The Executive Secretary, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Jacob Dairo, said the competition had public primary schools in the 33 local government areas of Oyo state participating.

Mr Dairo pointed out the positive roles sports play in advancing national unity and ensuring that basic education pupils are dissuaded from partaking in anti-social activities.

“The present administration in the state has done a lot to massively encourage grassroots sports through SUBEB and via remarkable achievements in sports activities,” he said.

The competition’s final football match involved St. Brigids Primary School at Mokola in Ibadan and Anglican Primary School of Igbomara in Iseyin.

It ended goalless after 90 minutes, with Anglican Primary School defeating St. Brigids School 5-3 after a penalty shootout.

(NAN)