The vice-chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU) Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello has promised that the school will host the best tournament in the history of the Africa University Games.
LASU will co-host the 11th edition of the FASU Games with University of Lagos (UNILAG).
It is the second time Nigeria will be hosting Games since its inception in 1974.
Over 100 universities from different African countries will participate in the games.
3,500 athletes will compete for honours in 15 sports.
“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,”Olatunji-Bello said at press conference in Lagos on Tuesday.
“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 GreenMetric 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.”
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 was held in Accra, Ghana, in December 1974 with 13 participating countries.
The Games will hold from 20th to 29th September 2024.
