The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi has said that his Administration is determined to project Federal University Lokoja (FUL) to the world through sports. Professor Akinwumi made the statement during a meeting with a group of sports professionals known as Volunteer Coaches of Confluence City Basketball Academy.

While addressing the coaches, the Vice-Chancellor emphasized the need for sports to be given adequate attention as it has the fundamental capacity of boosting the image and reputation of the University, both at national and international levels, citing the recent 2022 Olympic Games where students and alumni of Stanford University won most of the medals.

As a lover of sports and avid fan of Liverpool, Professor Akinwumi noted that his Administration was making frantic efforts towards encouraging all-round sporting activities in FUL. Such efforts include the ongoing construction of an ultra-modern sports complex/mini stadium, a plan to construct a standard gym for indoor games, and recently the inauguration of a high-powered committee charged with the responsibility to produce blueprints on sports development, amongst other noticeable efforts to reposition sports that would benefit the University and Kogi State. 

Speaking further, the Vice-Chancellor stated that the University would soon begin the hosting of inter-faculty sports festival/mini Olympic as well as inter-secondary school competitions in all games to identify and encourage sports talents among students of secondary schools in Kogi State and serve as a breeding ground for sports development through the catch-them-young mantra.

Professor Akinwumi, therefore, solicited the support and collaboration of the volunteer coaches in taking sports in the University to a new level, while urging them to make very useful input. The VC who recently visited FUL Basketball Academy and FUL Kiddies Taekwondo Academy at the College of Health Sciences, Adankolo Campus, also directed the team to immediately commence the registration of those Academies, and introduce new games such as boxing/wrestling, ludo, etc, and organize trophies and awards for winners.

FUL now addressing sports head-on:

In his remarks, the Founder and Coordinator of the Academy, Mr Nda Sule Okeme, who led the team to the meeting, lauded the efforts of the University Management under the leadership of Professor Akinwumi for its holistic approach toward taking sports to another level.

The pioneer Sport Coordinator of the University equally commended the choice of Mr E.D. Obafemi - an astute administrator and globally recognized FIFA-rated football coach and referee - who was recently appointed to chair the Sports Development Committee as a positive step in the right direction, saying he had no doubt that the former Registrar of the University of Ilorin would bring his wide range of experience to bear on the important assignment.

Mr Okeme, a member of the Sports Development Committee set up by the Vice-Chancellor, pledged the group's total support and commitment to the Administration's vision and aggressive drive in the area of sports development, adding that they can not afford to disappoint the University Authority.

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