Preparations Hit Top Gear As WAUG Begins In OAU Tomorrow (See Photos)

The Management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife has concluded preparations for the 2023 West African Universities Games (WAUG) that is scheduled to begin tomorrow, Saturday at the University.

Osun Defender reports that as WAUG draws near, the renovation of the OAU basketball court has been successfully completed by the University, in a bid to ensuring top-notch facilities for the participating athletes.

It was also gathered that the university management has implemented robust security measures. CCTV cameras have been strategically installed across various locations within the campus to create a secure and monitored environment throughout the duration of the games.

Findings revealed that the University management has installed floodlights at key areas in the campus which include the main bowl and basketball court, showcasing the university’s commitment to providing optimal visibility and a vibrant atmosphere for both participants and spectators.

Osun Defender recalls that the institution’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Abiodun Olanrewaju, had said that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, would be the special guest of honour during the opening and closing ceremonies of the games.

“The closing ceremony will come up on 22 December,” he added.

WAUG, also known as the ECOWAS Students Games, is a multi-sport event between student-athletes from West African universities.

The first edition of the competition was held in 1965 at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s premier university.

It has been held for four to six years since 1989. OAU, then the University of Ife, had hosted the games only once. It hosted the sixth edition of the competition in 1975.

Among the six Nigerian universities that have ever hosted the games, OAU will be the first to hold it more than once as the 15th edition holds on its campus in December.

Nigerian universities that have hosted the games in the past are the University of Ibadan, which hosted the first edition in 1965; University of Lagos, fourth edition, 1971; University of Ife (now OAU), sixth edition, 1975; University of Benin, ninth edition, 1995; University of Ilorin, 13th edition, 2012; and University of Port Harcourt, the last and 14th edition, in 2018.