Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has received the provisional hosting rights for the 29th Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) games scheduled for 2028.
The ABU Vice Chancellor, Professor Adamu Ahmed, has expressed joy over the hosting rights granted the University, saying it is an opportunity to build Nigeria’s economy around sports value chain, reports The Guardian.
It will be recalled that the Nigerian University Games (NUGA) is a biennial event that brings together student-athletes from universities across the country.
The award of the hosting rights was contained in a letter to the Vice Chancellor, by Acting Secretary-General of the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA), Yunusa Bazza.
The letter, dated December 3, 2025, was at the instance of the Council of the Nigerian University Games Association.
It stated that the hosting rights were contingent on the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).
The letter further stated that “NUGA Council would announce the specific dates for the great sporting events in due course”.
“By this, the university is empowered to engage with both governmental and non-governmental organisations to build partnerships that would assure the success of the games in 2028”, it added.
The letter, according to the NUGA Acting Secretary-General, also granted the university the “green light to commence improvements” on its facilities, both sports-related and otherwise, in preparation for the event.
Upon receiving the letter of award for the hosting rights, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ahmed, expressed excitement over the development.
In a statement today by the University Director of Public Affairs, Mallam Awwalu Umar, the VC explained that the hosting rights for the NUGA games aligned with the national policy for the development of next generation of athletes in Nigeria through the university.
He expressed joy for the opportunity to host the games again since 2001.
Ahmed also said the development was an added opportunity to build Nigeria’s economy around the sports value chain.
He stressed that the university was looking at the opportunity with clear understanding of what the Nigerian government wanted out of sports industry.
The games, according to him, would not only be for students to enjoy but also for the nation, despite the difficult challenges.
The Vice Chancellor noted that the development was coming at a time when the university was designated as one of the sports centres of excellence in Nigeria.
Prof. Ahmed commended NUGA Council for giving the university another opportunity to host the games and assured that ABU would justify the confidence reposed in it by doing all that was needed to organise the games successfully.
He stated that the university had a long and proud tradition in sports, having produced some of Nigeria’s finest athletes, coaches, and sports administrators.
According to him, ABU always believed in the power of sports as a unifying force, a tool for youth development, and a vehicle for building character and resilience.
The Vice Chancellor, who expressed pride in the institution’s sporting facilities, history, and human resources, asserted that sports today were no longer merely leisure, but also a multi-billion-dollar global industry.
Prof. Ahmed, who said the university looked forward to hosting the sporting events, pledged to have a good working relationship with NUGA before, during, and after the games.
