Gov. Ododo All Campus Games: FUL, PAAU Shine at Semi-Finals as Athletes Praise Initiative
Athletes compete during the Governor Ododo All-Campus Games 2026 semi-finals in Kogi State.
The Governor Ododo All-Campus Games 2026 has received commendation from participating athletes and sports administrators, as Federal University Lokoja (FUL) and Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, secured victories in their respective semi-final encounters.
FUL defeated Kogi State University, Kabba, 3-0 in the female volleyball semi-final to book a place in the final, while PAAU recorded a 41-11 victory over the same institution in male basketball to advance to the final.
FUL will face the winner of the second female volleyball semi-final between Federal College of Education, Okene, and PAAU, Anyigba. The encounter is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Friday, November 6, 2026.
Meanwhile, the first football semi-final between Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, and Federal College of Education, Okene, was ongoing at the Federal University Lokoja, Adankolo Campus, at the time of filing this report.
Beyond the sporting results, participants and sports administrators have described the Governor Ododo All-Campus Games as an important platform for discovering sporting talents, promoting youth development and strengthening relationships among students of tertiary institutions across Kogi State.
Athletes participating in the competition expressed appreciation to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for providing an opportunity for students from different institutions to demonstrate their sporting abilities, interact and build relationships beyond their respective academic environments.
They noted that the competition had encouraged friendship, the exchange of experiences and healthy rivalry, while promoting mutual understanding, teamwork and a stronger sense of belonging among young people.
The participants also called for the sustainability and expansion of the competition in subsequent editions to accommodate additional sporting disciplines and create more opportunities for emerging talents.
Similarly, the Sports Directors of Prince Abubakar Audu University and Federal University Lokoja commended the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Honourable Aridaojo Monday Anyebe, for initiating the statewide sporting competition.
They described the initiative as an important step towards strengthening sports development in tertiary institutions, identifying promising athletes and providing students with opportunities to compete at a higher level.
According to the directors, the competition would encourage participating institutions to strengthen their sports programmes, improve athletes’ competitive experience and promote discipline, teamwork and excellence.
They added that outstanding athletes discovered through the Games could, with appropriate encouragement and support, progress to represent their institutions, Kogi State and Nigeria in larger sporting competitions.
Speaking to sports writers after the matches, Coach of the FUL Female Volleyball Team, Ibrahim Jibril, attributed his team’s performance and competitive readiness to adequate preparation, doggedness and determination to make history.
Jibril also expressed satisfaction with the impact of the competition, noting that it had contributed to promoting unity and healthy relationships among students from tertiary institutions across the state.
He encouraged students to embrace sports and recreational activities as constructive avenues for personal development rather than engaging in criminal activities and other social vices that could bring them into conflict with security agencies.
On his part, Coach of the Kogi State University, Kabba, Female Volleyball Team, Olupinla Oyeniyi, said his team was not discouraged by its semi-final defeat.
He described the experience as an opportunity to identify areas requiring improvement and prepare better for future competitions.
Oyeniyi commended the Kogi State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development for initiating the competition but appealed to the organisers to strengthen planning and preparation to achieve greater success in subsequent editions.
He also urged aspiring sportsmen and women to remain committed to their chosen sporting careers, stressing that consistency, dedication and determination were essential for achieving excellence.
The female volleyball and male basketball semi-final matches were witnessed by sports writers led by the Information Officer of the Kogi State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mr James Sani.
The Governor Ododo All-Campus Games 2026 forms part of broader efforts to promote youth engagement, sporting excellence and healthy competition among students of tertiary institutions in Kogi State.
With participating athletes and sports administrators expressing support for the initiative, expectations remain that the competition will provide a sustainable platform for talent discovery, institutional collaboration and the development of future sporting talents in the state.
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