Children from across Ogun State and its environs gathered at the Agroterra Sports Complex, Jega Orile, yesterday, to be part of the second WAMUFAT/NSSF yearly sports fiesta, which will hold for five days.

The camp, which will run until the end of August 8, has attracted over 300 students aged between six and 16 from across the South-West states. It is being organised by WAMUFAT Youth Sports Development in partnership with the Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF), with support from the management of Agroterra Sports Complex.

Declaring the camp open, the Paramount Ruler of the Owu Kingdom in Ogun State, Professor Saka Matemilola, urged participants to make the most of the opportunity by developing their talents and sharpening their sporting skills.

The monarch also called on governments at all levels to accord greater priority to school sports, describing it as the bedrock of every successful sporting nation.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, WAMUFAT Founder, Fatimo Mohamed, said the decision to sustain the initiative after the successful maiden edition in 2025 was driven by her passion for giving back to society and creating opportunities for young people.

“I am excited to return and give back to the community that shaped me. This camp has shown that we can produce educated champions, and we believe it is an initiative that will continue for many years. I sincerely appreciate everyone involved because this is not a one-person effort. Many people have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this vision a reality,” she said.

Also speaking, NSSF President, Olabisi Joseph, described the partnership with WAMUFAT as a significant boost for school sports in Nigeria and urged more well-meaning individuals and organisations to support grassroots sports development through similar initiatives.

“I am delighted that this camp has returned for its second edition. I commend Fatimoh Mohamed and her team for their commitment to sustaining this initiative. I am confident this year’s edition will build on the success of the maiden event. We believe the students will benefit immensely from the combination of sports and education, which is essential to developing the total child. At NSSF, we will continue to partner with organisations and individuals committed to advancing school sports,” Joseph said.

Chairman of Agroterra Resort, Abdulrasheed Afonja, reaffirmed the facility’s commitment to supporting programmes that promote sports and education.

“I look forward to hosting more editions of this camp because supporting initiatives like this was one of the key objectives behind establishing this facility. I hope it continues to grow and remains sustainable so that we can discover and nurture talents for Ogun State and Nigeria as a whole,” Afonja said.