Esther Oluku 

The Lagos State  government Monday flagged off the 2025 Basic Education School Sports (BESS) competition, aimed at nurturing young talents and promoting  healthy rivalry among students.

Briefing journalists, the Commissioner for Secondary and Basic Education, Mr. Tolani Alli-Balogun, noted that over 370 athletes have arrived the camping facility in Lagos and are prepared to participate in the various sporting events.

With activities for the three-day long event spanning indoor and outdoor sports, he noted that the competition, beyond crowing winners, aims to build camaraderie in the students and serve as a platform for discovering new sports talents at the basic and secondary education level.

“The BESS competition is a celebration of teamwork and embodiment of discipline and sportsmanship. As such, I urge our young athletes to embrace this squarely, play, learn from one another and strive for excellence. I wish them the best of luck.

“We are going to have preliminaries of board games, which will commence from today to Wednesday, 18th June, at CMS Grammar School. The track and field events will be held same day, while the grand finale, football, will be held on June 19, at Yaba College of Technology. Over 370 young athletes will be participating.

“The safety of our pupils remains our top priority. We have implemented comprehensive safety measures and appointed qualified sports officials to supervise every event. The true spirit of this competition goes beyond winning,” the commissioner noted. “It’s about participation, camaraderie and nurturing a love for sports.”

He further emphasised that: “This year’s South-west BESS competition marks the second edition of the regional event, bringing together students from Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Oyo, and Ekiti States to participate in three days of sporting activities.”

On his part the Chairman, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, Mr. Akeem Shittu, said the event represents the commitment of the government to contribute to the wholesome development of children, adding that plans have been put in place to ensure maximum security of the students throughout the period of the competition. 

“This event is our commitment to nurture young talents and promote healthy competition by creating a platform for supporting the mental, physical, emotional and social development of our children,” Shittu stated.

Esther Oluku 

The Lagos State  government Monday flagged off the 2025 Basic Education School Sports (BESS) competition, aimed at nurturing young talents and promoting  healthy rivalry among students.

Briefing journalists, the Commissioner for Secondary and Basic Education, Mr. Tolani Alli-Balogun, noted that over 370 athletes have arrived the camping facility in Lagos and are prepared to participate in the various sporting events.

With activities for the three-day long event spanning indoor and outdoor sports, he noted that the competition, beyond crowing winners, aims to build camaraderie in the students and serve as a platform for discovering new sports talents at the basic and secondary education level.

“The BESS competition is a celebration of teamwork and embodiment of discipline and sportsmanship. As such, I urge our young athletes to embrace this squarely, play, learn from one another and strive for excellence. I wish them the best of luck.

“We are going to have preliminaries of board games, which will commence from today to Wednesday, 18th June, at CMS Grammar School. The track and field events will be held same day, while the grand finale, football, will be held on June 19, at Yaba College of Technology. Over 370 young athletes will be participating.

“The safety of our pupils remains our top priority. We have implemented comprehensive safety measures and appointed qualified sports officials to supervise every event. The true spirit of this competition goes beyond winning,” the commissioner noted. “It’s about participation, camaraderie and nurturing a love for sports.”

He further emphasised that: “This year’s South-west BESS competition marks the second edition of the regional event, bringing together students from Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Oyo, and Ekiti States to participate in three days of sporting activities.”

On his part the Chairman, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, Mr. Akeem Shittu, said the event represents the commitment of the government to contribute to the wholesome development of children, adding that plans have been put in place to ensure maximum security of the students throughout the period of the competition. 

“This event is our commitment to nurture young talents and promote healthy competition by creating a platform for supporting the mental, physical, emotional and social development of our children,” Shittu stated.

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