Nestle pledges more developmental programmes for schools
ELATED by the success that the Nestle Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championship has become, the company has decided to extend its support to other sports. Aside basketball, Nestle Milo also sponsors schools football. Speaking at the end of the 2018 Nestle Milo Secondary Schools Basketball
Championship,
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nestle Nigeria, Mauricio Alarcon said Nestle believes in helping to improve livelihoods of individuals in the communities where the company operates. “As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of Nestle Milo Basketball Championship, we celebrate the alumni who today play in the Nigerian National Team, in European Leagues, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Some of them are here today and we celebrate them,” Mr. Alarcon said.
He further applauded the passion and professionalism of the participants as part of what inspires Nestle to invest in grassroots sports development in line with the company’s purpose. “We will continue to work alongside our partners, the Ministries of Sports, Youth Development and Education in various states, the Nigerian Schools Sports Federation, the National Collegiate Sports Foundation and the Nigeria Basketball Federation to promote youth participation in sports,” Mr. Alarcon informed.
In the final matches of the competition played at the indoor sports hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, Father O’connell Science College Minna, Niger State and St. Jude Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State, emerged champions in the male and female categories respectively.
Last year, Government Secondary School, Minna won the 19th edition of the championship for the male category. The school returned to the 20th edition as defending champions and went away with the first prize position but with a new name of Father O’ Connell Science College Minna.
The boys from Niger State defeated their counterparts from Gen. Muritala Muhammed College, Adamawa State, 60 to 59 to lift the trophy.
The fiercely contested match had spectators on the edge of their seats as the game went down to the wire with just a point between the two teams. The game was tied in the second and third quarter with 28 – 28 and 41 – 41 respectively.
Unlike the male category, St. Jude Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State outclassed the girls from Yejide Girls Grammar School, Ibadan Oyo 47 to 31 to retain the title in the female category. The Bayelsa girls have won the trophy back to back for the past five years, taking the trophy home in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2018.
IT was fanfare at the indoors sports hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos yesterday as children from mostly public schools in Lagos State converged to displays their skills at the fourth edition of the Nigeria Future Leaders Festival. According to the organisers of the event, the one-day sports and arts talent discovery programme, which is also used to mark the Children’s Day, was put together to foster unity among children and also inspire them on how to be the best in their chosen career.
Speaking at the event, organiser of the Nigeria Future Leaders Festival, who is also a member of the Lagos State Football Association, Folashade Falokun said she started the leadership programme since 2015 to churn out talents in the area of sports, entertainment and other endeavour.
She noted that putting smiles on the faces of Nigerian children would go a long way to imbibe in them the spirit of good communal relationship.
“I decided to start the Nigeria Future Leaders Festival because of the love I have for children. “I targeted mostly the public schools to help the children have fun with their private counterparts.