By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt – No fewer than 2,000 alumni from 50 Unity Schools across Nigeria are set to compete in the 2025 Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA) Sports Carnival in Port Harcourt.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the competition, Solomon Sokolo, made the remark during a news conference in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
He stated that the third edition of the event, which would be hosted at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt Club, and Shell Club, would take place from April 26 to April 27.
According to Sokolo, this year’s competition is expected to surpass previous editions, featuring a variety of sporting activities and attractive prizes.
“Over 2,000 participants from about 50 Unity School’s Old Boys Associations, Old Girls Associations, and Old Student Associations will take part in the two-day sports festival.
“They will compete in Athletics, football, swimming, volleyball, table tennis, lawn tennis, golf, badminton, tug of war, various board games, as well as ceremonial match-past,” he said.
Sokolo listed some of the participating schools to include Federal Government Girls’ College Abuloma (Rivers); Federal Government College (FGC), Wukari (Taraba); FGC Jos (Plateau); and FGC Warri (Delta), among others.
He explained that the sports festival would also serve to promote Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage through music, dance, and various forms of entertainment.
“The festival will also feature ‘Invitational Race’ for secondary schools, which serve to preach unity through sports. Therefore, this is an ideal time to visit Port Harcourt.
“We are here to advocate for peace and unity, while quietly working to foster national cohesion and ease political tensions,” Sokolo added.
He stated that medals and trophies would be awarded to the winners in each of the sporting categories.
In his remarks, Chidi Anene, Secretary-General of USOSA, noted that the association comprised of members from over 100 Unity Colleges across the country.
He explained that the Federal Government had established Unity Schools to bridge the divide between Northern and Southern Nigeria, noting that the association seeks to continue promoting unity in diversity.
“The government acted wisely by introducing the Unity School System and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as tools for national integration, following the Civil War.
“That experiment has proven effective, as former students of Unity Schools are now found across the country, contributing to national unity,” he said.
Anene further stated that the sports tournament would serve as a means to unite Nigerians across ethnic and religious divides.
“In Unity Schools, Christians, Muslims, Pentecostals, and Catholics all shared the same place of worship, even during fasting periods, we broke fast together.
“This is why, when some are working to divide Nigerians, we are actively working to bring Nigerians together,” he added.
The secretary general also called on the Federal Government to rehabilitate the deteriorating infrastructures in Unity Schools nationwide and to restore them as centres of excellence for education and learning.
Speaking, Chioma Aninwe, National Publicity Secretary of USOSA, noted that the competition has received the full support from the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Adm. Ibok-Ete Ibas. (NAN)
