- Over 370 pupils from six South-West states are competing in the 2025 BESS Sports Festival in Lagos.
- The event promotes unity, fitness, and talent development among schoolchildren, according to education officials.
- Competitions run from June 17–19, with finals set for Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex.
Over 370 pupils from six South-West states are set to participate in the 2025 edition of the Basic Education Schools Sports (BESS) Competition.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Lagos Sports Festival officially kicked off with a press conference on Monday.
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The week-long event iorganised by the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) in partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF).
Young athletes from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo states are all present
Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, while speaking at the opening ceremony, said the event is designed to foster unity, encourage physical fitness, and uncover young sporting talents across the region.
Alli-Balogun said sports offer more than just physical benefits — they build essential life skills like resilience, teamwork, and emotional discipline.
The Commissioner said, “This competition will inspire a new generation of sports enthusiasts and leave a lasting impact on our young participants.
“Sport is not just a physical exercise, it teaches teamwork, resilience, emotional balance, and discipline — all essential for holistic development.”
He added that the collaborative efforts between the federal and state SUBEBs, UBEC, and NSSF, describing the partnership as “a testament to our shared commitment to nurturing young talents.”
Alli-Balogun further appluaded Ekiti State for successfully hosting the maiden edition of the BESS competition in 2024 and expressed confidence that Lagos would build on that legacy.
On his part, the Executive Chairman of LASUBEB, Dr Hakeem Shittu, emphasised the importance of physical education alongside academic learning.
Shittu said, “Our schools are not only centres of academic excellence but also breeding grounds for nurturing well-rounded individuals.
“Through sports, we instil values such as perseverance, sportsmanship, and respect in our pupils.
“Over 370 young athletes will be participating in various sporting events such as 100m, 200m, 400m races, long jump, high jump, football, chess, scrabble, ayo-olopon and other board games in this year’s competition.
“Preliminaries in football and board games will take place on June 17 and 18 at CMS Grammar School, Bariga, while the athletics segment is scheduled for Agege Stadium on June 18.”
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The SUBEB Chairman added that the grand finale, featuring the football finals, will be held on June 19 at the Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex.
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