LASU VC Addresses Press Conference Ahead of the 11th All Africa Universities Games (FASU)

LASU VC Addresses Press Conference Ahead of the 11th All Africa Universities Games (FASU)

WELCOME ADDRESS OF THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, PROFESSOR IBIYEMI IBILOLA OLATUNJI-BELLO, mni, NPOM, AT THE FEDERATION OF AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES SPORTS (FASU) GAMES TAGGED LAGOS 2024 PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON TUESDAY 14TH MAY 2024 AT THE SENATE CHAMBER, BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA SENATE BUILDING, MAIN CAMPUS, OJO

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Funsho Omobintan

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Adenike Boyo

University Registrar, Mr. Emmanuel Fanu

University Bursar, Mr. Said Olayinka

University Librarian, Dr. Omawunmi Makinde

All Deans of Faculties and Professors here present

Director, Sports Centre

All Heads of Department here present

Gentlemen of the Press

Let me begin by appreciating everyone present here for responding to our invitation at such short notice. Your invitation to this meeting attests to the strategic role the media, the fourth estate of the realm, plays as an indispensable agent of sensitization and a veritable partner in the development of society. This press conference also demonstrates the high esteem in which the university holds the media on whose shoulders the responsibility for the coverage and publicity of the forthcoming FASU games depends.

The organizers of the 11th All-Africa Games are cognizant of this and look forward to working with you to give the tournament the widest publicity and coverage as befitting the FASU Games. Let me state that the co-hosts of the games are resolved to host the best FASU games ever and this press conference is one in the line of events to actualize this objective.

Thank you and welcome to the beautiful campus of Nigeria’s best State University, Lagos State University.

My vision

On my appointment as Vice Chancellor of this great university in September 2021 by Mr. Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, I envisioned LASU as a great University that has the potential to become the best in West Africa, hence the formulation of the six strategic goals that have guided my policies since the inception of this administration. The sixth goal aims to promote sports and recreational activities not only as an entertaining event but also as a healthy lifestyle choice that has the added advantage of immense business opportunities for staff and students, an objective that the hosting of the forthcoming FASU, and other games like NUGA will help foster.

However, less than a year into office, thanks to the university’s rehabilitated sporting facilities, LASU has become a competitive destination for national and continental sporting events, a remarkable feat confirmed in the right granted the University to co-host the 11th FASU Games with the University of Lagos (UNILAG). The Games will hold from 20th to 29th September 2024.

I am glad to announce that LASU has embraced this opportunity with both arms and has begun preparations to co-host and win the best FASU Games ever. In pursuit of this goal, our students are already training round the clock to give the university quality representation in various sports events, football, basketball, athletics, table tennis, etc.

Gentlemen of the press, winning the right to co-host the FASU Games is a watershed and a significant milestone in LASU’s over 40-year history. This is the reason for the excitement surrounding the game.

Background

The FASU Games, a biennial multi-sports event organized for university athletes by the Federation of African Universities Sports (FASU), is the biggest university Games on the African continent. The inaugural FASU Games held in Accra, Ghana, in December 1974 with 13 participating countries. Despite the challenges faced in the earlier editions of the games, the FASU Games has become a household intercontinental sporting tournament with the last edition hosted by Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya in 2022. Ten editions have been held since inception: (Ghana 1974, Kenya 1978, Nigeria 2004, South Africa 2006, Uganda 2008, Namibia 2012, Kenya 2014, South Africa 2016, Ethiopia 2018, and Kenya 2022).The 11^th edition of the Games will be held in 2024 in Lagos, the Centre of Excellence and Nigeria’s commercial hub, with LASU and UNILAG cohosting the tournament.

The FASU Games is a festival of sporting excellence, a celebration of athleticism, unity, community engagement and cultural exchange among university students across Africa, and LASU is proud to be part of this rich sporting heritage.

Why LAGOS, LASU?

I am confident that there is no better city to host the finest athletes in African Universities at this point than Lagos, the Centre of Excellence and the city of Aquatic splendour, home to over 20 million people from all parts of Nigeria and the globe. Likewise, the games could not have had a better co-host than Lagos State University, Nigeria’s best State University, Nigeria’s 9th Overall Best University, and the best university in West Africa according to the UI Green Metric World University Ranking.

LASU does not only have the physical facilities but it also boasts of the human and material resources to co-host an unforgettable sporting spectacle. With over 50,000 young people currently studying on its campuses, Lagos State University is a melting pot of cultures of various Nigerian and African ethnicities and an indisputable embodiment of the Nigerian and African spirit. Ours is a vibrant community of young men and women who are both intellectual and hospitable, a cherished attribute that visitors to LASU will experience as they are treated to the famed Lagos hospitality.

Furthermore, our location on Lagos-Badagry Expressway corridor, an international road that links Nigeria to the West African countries, places the University at a vantage point to receive guests from neigbouring countries, not forgetting that the university is just about 45 minutes’ drive from the International Airport in Ikeja.

LASU is ready to co-host the rest of Africa and looks forward to partnering with well-meaning individuals and organizations, locally and internationally, to co-host a game that will bring immense sporting and business opportunities to sporting organizations, athletes and co-hosts.

Call for partnerships

On that note, I invite well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with us in co-hosting this FASU game. Our Marketing/Fund Raising Committee is already on the field to solicit the support of Nigerians, and individual and corporate sponsorships. Please welcome them with open arms when they reach out to you. We also invite vendors to participate with us by showcasing their goods and services throughout the campus during the games.

Your partnership and support are crucial to the success of this tournament which will showcase the spirit of unity and collaboration that defines us as Nigerians. By partnering with us on this game, you demonstrate your commitment as a progressive partner in the development of our dear State, Lagos,to the growthof sports in Africa.

Gentlemen of the press, let me also use this medium to inform you that the NUGA Organizing Committee will be visiting the University on the 12^th and 13^th June, 2024 for facilities inspection and interaction. This underscores the importance LASU places on sporting events as a unifying platform for enhancing harmony and cohesion, particularly in a multiethnic nation like Nigeria, and, more importantly, the immense leisure, career and business opportunities in these sporting events for businesses, students, staff and the general public.

Finally, I thank FASU for keeping faith with the university to co-host this event. My profound gratitude also goes to His Excellency, Mr. Governor, for his support towards hosting this tournament. We do not take Mr. Governor’s unflinching support for granted and look forward to more support from His Excellency whenever we call on him.

Once again, I thank you, gentlemen of the press for coming.

We are LASU. we are great.

Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola OLATUNJI-BELLO, mni, NPOM

DANIEL SEUN KOLADE

With over 7 years of profound expertise in school news, I Kolade Daniel has been a guiding force for aspiring students. Having successfully aided thousands in navigating the complexities of the admission process, I have stands as a seasoned expert committed to empowering individuals on their academic journey. As the founder of LEGITDAN CONSULTS, I continues to provide timely and insightful updates on admissions, scholarships, and academic developments, leaving an enduring impact on the education landscape.