Babcock VC harps on sports development

The Vice-Chancellor of Babcock University, Ilisan Remo, Prof Ademola Tayo, has emphasised the need for further investment in sports development as it provides a good platform to get the youth engaged and direct their energy to productive ventures.

Prof Tayo equally underscored the potent power of sport to drive unity across the globe and rally for peaceful coexistence for a better world.

The Vice-Chancellor disclosed this on Wednesday while hosting the executives of the Nigeria Private University Games Association at the conference room of the university alumni office.

“The power of sport is huge, around the world, sport has been used to close ranks, warring people have been able to come together through sporting activities, if there is anything that unifies the world today, it is sport,” the VC said.

“Even when Nigeria plays, nobody remembers their tribe, people fighting themselves will forget about the fight and will unite to rally support for the country to win.

“Aside from the fact that sport plays a vital role in bringing all of us together, it is also a veritable platform for our young ones to channel their energy to productive ventures.

“Today, we have the issues of drugs and substance abuse, prostitution, Internet scams, cultism etc, among our youth because they have the energy that has been misdirected. However, we can help to redirect this energy through the instrument of sport”.

Prof Tayo explained that given the numerous benefits of sports from helping to cultivate healthy living, strengthening bonds and social cohesion to even serving as a veritable source of livelihood and empowerment, the university has agreed to host the 2025 NPUGA Games which comes up in August.

The Vice-Chancellor said that the university will also be serving as the official Games Village for the National Sports Festival to be hosted by Ogun State in May saying that the institution has topnotch facilities to cater for at least 12,000 athletes.