But for the six months Academic Staff Union of Universities strike, the 2014 games would have held in 2013. The 2014 edition makes it the third time that ‘Great Ife’ has hosted the games. It first hosted in 1970 and then 1984.
Historically, NUGA was formed in 1966 following the West Africa Universities Games, WAUG, held in 1965 in Ibadan. WAUG which served as a catalyst for the formation of NUGA was initiated by one Mr. Samuel Manuma who donated two giant trophies in 1964 to be competed for by some West African Universities. Invariably, the gesture led to the first WAUG Games which University of Ibadan hosted in 1965. It was therefore not coincidental that university of Ibadan again hosted the first edition of NUGA Games in 1966.
NUGA which became a member of the World Federation of University Games in 1970 is charged with the responsibility of organising bi-annual inter-university games. Presently, there are 36 Nigeria Universities as statutory members of the NUGA General Assembly. Also, the number of participatory games at the NUGA games has currently increased to 15 and there is every indication that more would be added to the present number. The events are : track and field, badminton, basketball, chess, cricket, handball, hockey, judo, soccer, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, and volleyball.
Undoubtedly, the all Nigerian Universities Games is the most popular sporting competition among Nigeria university students. It is also a political tool for breeding unity among youths of the nation.
But more importantly, the dream of the founding fathers of NUGA was to put in place games that would help in discovering young talents in Nigerian universities for grooming for future international competitions.
Interestingly, despite its myriad of problems, NUGA has to some extent contributed to the development of sports in Nigeria. The games have helped in discovering talented athletes who went on to represent the country at international competitions.
If properly harnessed by NUGA, the talents that abound in Nigerian universities would have made significant contributions to sports in the country but the story is different because the body seems to be lethargic.
Just like most other institutions in Nigeria, NUGA is said to be suffering from defective leadership, poor funding, students apathy to games, irregular hosting of games, use of mercenaries, doping and poor sporting infrastructure.
To make matters worse, most Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian universities are not passionate about sports. Consequently, expending so much on provision of sporting facilities or accepting to sink millions of naira into hosting the games is never a thing of priority.
Thus, it is now an open secret that not all universities have provided the enabling environment for their students who are talented in sports to excel. As a result, even those who take part in sports most times do so at their own peril.
Obviously, there is the urgent need for reinvigoration of NUGA for better harnessing of talents that abound in Nigerian universities.
Although most Nigerians believe NUGA has not met the yearnings and aspirations of its founding fathers some of its officials are of the view that the organisation has contributed immensely to the development of sports in the country.
The Secretary General of NUGA, Mr Bola Orodele said that the games since inception have not only produced stars that represented the nation at various international games but have signposted amateur sports in the country.
He said that since the first games held in Ibadan in 1966,the hosting of the competition in various universities has created room for the provision of sporting facilities for the universities as well as the host communities.
According to him, NUGA has come of age as over 100 universities as against the five that participated in the median edition attended the 2014 Games held in Ile Ife.
He reiterated that the games has served as the zenith of amateur sports in the country producing notable athletes like former Green Eagles Felix Owolabi,a member of the 1980 squad that won the Africa Nations Cup, Seyi Olafinjana also a former key member of the Super Eagles, Hamid Adio of NTA who captained Nigeria to many international competitions as a track and field athlete, Olusoji Fasugba and Bisi Afolabi as well as captain of the Nigeria Basketball team,the D’Tigers,Olumide Oyedeji who is also a star in the NBA.
The Secretary General further said that the aim and objectives of the games which include among others the development of sporting facilities and talent hunt has been achieved to a great extent such that the body can say confidently that it has contributed immensely to sports development in the country.
He disclosed that the best five modern Olympic size swimming pools in the country are in the campuses of the universities of Port-Harcourt, Maiduguri, Nsukka, Ile Ife and Ibadan.
The scribe said these facilities have always been put to use by the neighbouring states as well as host communities to train their swimmers for local and international competitions.
He stressed further that continuous hosting of the games in various universities has also created bond of friendship among Nigerian students which has helped in cementing the unity of the country.
Orode said unlike most facilities at the states and federal level which are experiencing decay, those of the universities are being maintained with the best of attention hence the 30 years old University of Ibadan swimming pool and others are still in the best of shape. He charged sports officials at the state and national level to borrow a leaf from the academic community for proper maintenance of their facilities.
He however lamented poor funding of NUGA which he said has been a cog in the wheel of progress.
“We could do better, if properly funded. Funding is important and if the universities can get adequate funds for sports programmes, our campuses will be centres for production of world class athletes. Hopefully we will get there one day,”Orodele said.
Also speaking the Director of Sports, Bayero University Kano,Professor Musa Garba Yakasai said the contributions of NUGA to sports in Nigeria is enormous.
The university don said with the hosting of the games by his university, the benefit of having standard sporting facilities has placed BUK ahead of many other universities in the country.
“We hosted NUGA and I can tell you today we have the best of Taekwando and Judo mats worth millions of naira in our indoor sports hall. We have been able to produce world class athletes in these fields. If we did not host we wouldn’t have had this luxury of being a centre for sports excellence in Kano and Nigeria at large.
“You can then see what I mean that NUGA has not only helped improve on the well being of our students who engage in sports but has played a pivotal role in promoting some sports to national light”, he said.
As the 24 edition of the games end this evening in Osun State, attention will shift to the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi which is going to host the 25th edition of NUGA Games.
Already the Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Chief Chike Udenze is said to have assured that the university will take the games to the next level.
Expectedly, he disclosed plans by the university to expend billions of naira on the construction and upgrading of facilities.
