By Israel Afolabi
The National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) has on Tuesday distributed sporting equipment to public schools in the State of Osun.
52 schools across 24 Local Government benefitted from the first phase of the presentation, held at Ataoja Government High School, Osogbo.
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Lottery Trust Fund, Engineer Habu Ahmed Gumel who described NLTF as a stronger pillar for sporting activities in the country, said the gesture was aimed at encouraging sports in schools.
Noting that the Trust Fund has been supporting various sporting activities across the country since its establishment years ago, he said, the NLTF collaborate with relevant Agencies to implement any project approved by the president on recommendation of the Board of Trustees.
In her welcome address, the Zonal Coordinator of the NLTF, South-West, Hadjia Hajara Buari urged the beneficiaries to make use of all the sporting equipment properly.
According to her, “we are witnessing the official presentation of wide range world class sporting equipment in different areas of sport namely: Sprinting, Volleyball, Basketball, Football, Handball, Table-Tennis, Judo, Badminton and Taekwondo to selected public primary schools across the state of Osun”.
She also said that the essence of this intervention is to promote grassroots sports development in the country with the specific objectives of enhancing the capacity of the nation to grow.
She added that the involvement of children of primary schools in sporting activities would improve the Nation’s future performance in sports at all levels by harnessing the potentials of young talents and nurturing their transition to world class athletes.
However, in his reaction, the Executive Secretary, Osun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prince Felix Awofisayo lauded the National Lottery Trust Fund for the gesture to public schools in the state, saying, “52 schools across 24 local government are benefitting from first phase of the presentation, and others will follow in due course”.
He also said that this sporting equipment will uplift and promote sport development in the state and Nigeria as whole.
He urged the agency not to stop the good work in schools in other to catch them young.
In his goodwill message, the Commissioner for Education in the state, Mr. Omotunde Kola-Young appreciated NLTF for their contributions to sporting activities among students of public schools in Osun.
