Highlighting Nestlé Nigeria’s 22 Years Of Grassroots Sports Development

L-R: Olutayo Olatunji, Category Manager Beverages at Nestlé Nigeria PLC; Wassim El-Husseini, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Nestlé Nigeria PLC; Olabisi Joseph, President of Nigeria Schools Sports Federation (NSSF); Lanre Balogun, Executive Secretary of National Collegiate Sports Foundation (NCSF) and Babs Ogunade representing the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) during the Press Conference of the 22nd Milo Basketball Championship at the Nestlé Head Office  recently.

Nestlé Nigeria has continued to make significant impact in the development of grassroots sports in Nigeria as evidenced in its sponsorship of the 2022 Secondary Schools’ Basketball Championship.

The 2022 finals of MILO Secondary Schools’ Basketball Championship was announced at a press conference where draws to determine the pattern of play at the finals were also held. Twelve teams will play in the finals: six each in the male and female categories.

The MILO Basketball Championship which started in 1999 with less than 500 schools now brings together over 10,000 schools every year.

This year’s finalists include Government Secondary School, Numan, Adamawa State; Akpur College, Gboko, Benue State; St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State; David Hall College, Obalende, Ikoyi, Lagos State; Government Girls Secondary School, Bukavu, Kano State; and Queen Amina College, Sabon-Tasha, Kaduna State in the girls’ category.

In the boy’s category are Dutse Model International Secondary School, Jigawa State; Government Secondary School, Karu, FCT; King Amachree Academy, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Topfield College, Ajugunle, Apapa, Lagos; Victorroti Private Secondary School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State and Bishop Dimieari Grammar School, Obom, Bayelsa State.

The Championship started this year with over 10,000 teams participating at the State preliminaries. The winners from the first stage went on to the Regional Conference stage where the finalists who will play in the National Finale emerged.

During the press conference, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Mr. Wassim El-Husseini said “For over two decades now, Nestlé has been at the forefront of grassroots sports development in Nigeria through the Nestlé MILO Secondary Schools’ Basketball Championship.

“We continue to do our utmost to help shape a healthier and happier generation of Nigerians by encouraging them to participate in sporting activities. MILO Basketball Championship also provides a platform to help children imbibe values that set the right foundation for their future. They learn grit – perseverance through hardship, courage to overcome fear, ability to work in a team, self-belief, respect, and leadership.”

Also speaking at the press conference, the Category Manager – Beverages, Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Mr. Olutayo Olatunji said “The MILO Basketball Championship now brings together over 10,000 schools every year. This Championship started with less than 500 schools in 1999. The school game has grown beyond being just a sport to a passion that helps to discipline the body and mind. We thank our long-standing partners who have been part of the success of the MILO Basketball Championship for these 22 editions – the Nigerian Schools Sports Federation (NSSF), the National Collegiate Sports Foundation (NCSF)”.

According to the National President of the Nigeria Schools’ Sports Federation, Olabisi Joseph, “Nestlé Nigeria PLC has made significant contributions to the growth of sports in Nigeria and the creation of a bright future for young people by supporting and promoting basketball in schools.” She said further,

“Every year, our schoolboys and girls look forward to participating in the biggest grassroots basketball championship in Africa, which is fondly called MILO Basketball.”

Mr. Lanre Balogun, Executive Secretary of the National Collegiate Sports Foundation (NSSF), who also spoke at the press conference said, ”This Championship continues to grow from strength to strength, thanks to the commitment of our sponsors, Nestlé Nigeria PLC. We will all agree that 22 years of continuous sponsorship in the life of any organization is highly commendable and worthy of emulation. Therefore, Nestlé Nigeria PLC deserves all the accolades for maintaining the sponsorship of this event.”

The draws grouped the six teams in the girls’ and boys’ categories each into groups ‘A’
and ‘B’. In the girls’ category, St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State, Government Girls Secondary School, Bukavu, Kano State and Queen Amina College, Sabon-Tasha, Kaduna State will play in group ‘A’, while David Hall College, Obalende, Ikoyi, Lagos State, Government Secondary School, Numan, Adamawa State and Akpur College, Gboko, Benue State and will play in group ‘B’.

In the boys’ category, Government Secondary School, Karu, FCT, Bishop Dimieari Grammar School, Obom, Bayelsa State and Victorroti Private Secondary School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State will play in group ‘A’ while Topfield College, Ajugunle, Apapa, Lagos, King Amachree Academy, Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Dutse Model International Secondary School, Jigawa State, will play in group ‘B’.

The first Conference – Savanna Conference – was hosted at the Sanni Abacha Stadium, Kano, from 7th to 13th of May 2022. The states that make up this Conference are: Yobe, Borno, Taraba, Zamfara, and host Kano. Others are Gombe, Katsina, Bauchi and Jigawa. The girls from Government Secondary School, Numan, Adamawa State, won in the girls category while the boys from Dutse Model International Secondary School, Jigawa State won in the boys category.

The Championship then moved to the Ilorin Township Stadium, in the Kwara State capital, for the Central Conference from 14th to 20th of May. The states invited to play at the Central Conference are Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau and host Kwara. Others are Benue, Kebbi, Kaduna, Sokoto and the F.C.T (Abuja). Akpur College, Gboko, Benue State emerged Champions in the girls’ category, while Government Secondary School, Karu, FCT won in the boys’ category.

The Equatorial Conference was hosted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu from21st to 27th of May 2022. The states that make up this Conference are Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River and host Enugu. Others are Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Abia, Imo and Anambra. St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State won in the girls’ category while King Amachree Academy, Port Harcourt, Rivers State won in the boys’ category.

The fourth and final Conference – Western Conference – was hosted at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital from the 28th of May to the 3rd of June. The Conference comprises: Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti and the host state, Oyo. Others are Edo, Delta, Osun and Kogi. At this Conference, David Hall College, Obalende,

Ikoyi, and Topfield College, Ajugunle, Apapa, both from Lagos won in the girls’ and boys’ categories respectively.
As it is the tradition of the Championship, four best losing teams were also invited to participate in the grand finale. In the girls’ category both Government Girls Secondary School, Bukavu, Kano State and Queen Amina College, Sabon-Tasha, Kaduna State emerged best losing teams from the four Conferences while Victorroti Private Secondary
School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State and Bishop Dimieari Grammar School, Obom, Bayelsa State emerged in the boys’ category from the four Conferences.

These six teams will jostle for the coveted prices of a Champions trophy, cash prize, basketball kits and lots of other MILO goodies in both the boys’ and girls’ categories of the Championship. This year, the National Finals will hold at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos from June 25 to July 1, 2022. The final games will be played in both the girls’ and boys’ categories on Thursday June 30, 2022.