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LGEA Primary School, Wurukum, Makurdi, has emerged overall champion of the 2024/2025 Basic Education School Sports (BESS) Games State Finals, with the Benue State Government rewarding the young athletes and their school for their outstanding performance.
The school, representing Zone B, clinched the championship after winning the highest number of gold medals at the state finals held at LGEA Primary School, Mbakunde, Vandeikya.
The competition, organised by the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), brought together outstanding young athletes from basic schools across the state.
The athletes competed in Ayo, 100-metre race, relay, long jump and football for boys and girls, providing a platform for the discovery and nurturing of sporting talents at the grassroots.
Presenting the awards, the state government said the competition was consistent with Governor Hyacinth Alia’s commitment to developing the child beyond the classroom by creating opportunities for pupils to discover and develop their talents.
Governor Alia, represented by his Deputy, Dr Sam Ode, congratulated the young athletes and described the BESS Games as an important component of his administration’s broader vision for a basic education system in which every child is given the opportunity to learn, participate and realise his or her potential.
He said his administration had continued to invest in basic education through infrastructure, learning materials, teacher development and sports.
According to him, the government had constructed and renovated 435 classrooms, distributed more than 13,000 teaching and learning materials, provided a N150 million school grant, supplied mobility aids to Quality Assurance Officers and distributed more than 6,000 sporting equipment to schools.
The governor also said more than 8,900 teachers had been trained as part of efforts to improve the quality of basic education in the state.
In a further boost to the winning school, Alia announced the provision of a Digital Learning Centre and a fully equipped Smart Classroom, in addition to the prizes presented by the organisers.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman of Benue SUBEB, Dr Grace Adagba, said sporting competitions at the basic education level were essential to identifying and developing talents early.
Adagba welcomed participating schools, athletes and dignitaries to the competition and commended the state government for what she described as its interventions in basic education and sports development.
The Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Dr Margaret Ijaguwa Adamu, and the Chairman of Vandeikya Local Government Council, Hon. Dennis Guda, also commended the governor’s investments in education and praised the SUBEB leadership for supporting the administration’s vision.
Former Super Eagles striker and coach, Samson Siasia, who attended the event, urged the young athletes to remain disciplined and committed to developing their talents.
Representing the UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mrs Zipporah Panguru, similarly stressed the need for sustained investment in the holistic development of Nigerian children.
The competition also featured appearances by sports personalities including Francisca Ordega and Tony Agbaji, alongside Siasia.
At the end of the competition, LGEA Primary School, Wurukum, Makurdi, was crowned champion and received ₦1 million and a drum set.
LGEA Primary School, Ukpe-Mbayongo, Vandeikya, representing Zone A, finished second and received ₦500,000 and a generator, while LGEA Primary School, Adiko Ito, Obi, representing Zone C, placed third and received ₦300,000 and a public address system.
The event featured a march-past, cultural displays by learners and teachers, presentation of prizes and awards, and participation by government officials, UBEC representatives, traditional rulers and support groups.
The BESS Games, the organisers said, reaffirmed the importance of combining academic development with sports and other activities that enable children to identify their abilities and build confidence from an early age.
