Nigeria Basketball Federation Vice President, Babatunde Ogunade has tasked Corporate Organizations in Nigeria to key into the ongoing revolution in the Nigerian basketball by investing in its further growth.
Speaking at the media parley heralding the 21st edition of the Nestle Milo Basketball Championship for Secondary schools on Thursday in Lagos, Ogunande said with the huge task of funding, infrastructure development, international participation, domestic leagues and development of talents, the NBBF needs all the support from the corporate world.
He eulogized the impact that the Nestle brand has continued to play in Nigerian sports especially basketball in the last 20 years since it started the Milo Secondary School program.
The NBBF Vice President said the program which produced the likes of Evelyn Akhator, Nkechi Akashili, Chioma Okoro Udeaja, Elo Edema Edeferioka amongst others has contributed immensely to the D’Tigress recent successes at the 2017 Afrobasket in Mali and the 2018 FIBA World Cup in Spain where the team got to the quarterfinal.
“Other Corporate organizations in Nigeria need to emulate the illustrious contributions of Nestle Milo by investing in the future of the immediate environment they operate through sports. To have been doing this for the past 20 years is not a mean feat. They must be commended.
He promised that the Technical Department of the federation will pay close attention to the 21st edition starting on the 8th of May in their quest for talent discovery for the underage National teams.
In an address by the Managing Director and Chief Executive, Nestle Nigeria PLC, Mauricio Alarcon said, “The Nestle brand has continued to enhance quality of life and contributing to a healthier future, we encourage children to be active through sports programs.”
According to Alarcon, the brand has a strong belief that sports provide opportunities for the development of qualities that set the foundation for a child’s future which has continued to encourage them to be at the forefront of grassroots sports development in Nigeria for the past 20 years.
The Savannah conference comprising Bauchi, Adamawa, Plateau, Kano, Gombe, Jigawa, Borno, Katsina, Yobe and Taraba will begin from May 3 to 8 in Bauchi while the Central Conference made up of Benue, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Sokoto, Zamfara and the FCT will play their games in Minna from May 10 to 15.
The Equatorial Conference will feature teams from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Imo, Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa and Ebonyi. They will play their matches in Enugu from May 17 to 22 while the Western Conference made up of Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Kwara, Lagos , Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo will play in Ibadan from May 24 to 29.
The National finals hold in Lagos from July 4.