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…as Edo2020 officially commences with glamour
Francis Ogbuagu, Benin City
The President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday described the National Sports Festival (NSF) as a veritable tool for national unity and means for job creation.
President Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, made this assertion in Benin City, the Edo State capital, while declaring open the Edo2020.
He also said the festival was conceived as a tool to bring unity and help our young men and women discover their tallents that will enable them represent Nigeria in the global sports arena.
According to him: “The Nationl Sports Festival. was conceived as a tool to bring unity, help our young men and women discover their tallent that will enable them represent Nigeria in the global sports arena.
“Investment in sports infrastructure and allied products is a sign of the direction that sports will take in Nigeria.”
He praised the Edo State government for the massive investment in sports facilities and maintained that sports in Nigeria must become business that should provide employement and grow the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, in his welcome address, said the country is in dire need of peace, tolerance and brotherhood. And that that is why the Edo State Government sees it as a necessity to host the game despite several postponements occasioned by the COVID- 19 pandemic.The governor said that the country needed to rekindle the vision of our founding fathers.
The opening ceremony of the National Sports Festival, tagged Edo 2020, saw much fanfare at the remodelled Samuel Ogbemudia Staduim in Benin City.
The city known for its historical and cultural heritage displayed the glamour of the ancient kingdom through traditional and contemporary music and dances
The 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) participated in the march past, with each team showcasing it’s athletes and the beauty of the participating state.
The festival continues today, with a number of states already winning medals.