Kunle Adewale

The University of Lagos Sports Complex was abuzz with excitement on Saturday, as the Nigeria Bankers Games (NBG) 2025 officially kicked off. 

The opening ceremony was a grand spectacle, featuring a colourful performance by bankers from various institutions, showcasing their team spirit and athletic prowess.

First Bank of Nigeria Plc, the defending champions, retained their title in the march past event with an impressive score of 98.2%. Access Bank and Wema Bank secured the second and third positions, respectively, with outstanding performances.

The ceremony featured a thrilling aerobics session, led by an energetic instructor, emphasizing the importance of work-life balance. The theme was at the forefront of the games, promoting camaraderie and friendly competition among banking professionals.

Before the kickoff of the day’s football matches, the Class of 2025 Hall of Famers were unveiled. Eleven ambassadors of the Nigeria Bankers Games were inducted, recognising their exceptional commitment and achievements in the competition.

The outstanding individuals include; UBA’s Peter Nwachukwu, First Bank’s Solomon Idowu, UBA’s Augustine Ihenyen, FCMB’s Vincent Egemba and Uyi Uhunmwangho of Stanbic IBTC.

The list also saw First Bank’s Olayemi Okam, UBA’s Ben Ekwere, Stanbic IBTC’s Efe Omoduemuke, First Bank’s Yusuf Abiodun, Wema Bank’s Kayode Osumah and Sterling Bank’s Fredrick Rekuoya were inducted. 

The football event kicked off with a novelty match that saw the All-Star Team narrowly defeating Palmpay 1-0 in a closely contested game. The first match of NBG 2025 was between the 2024 edition football champion, Sterling Jets from Sterling Bank, and the overall champions of the 2024 games, Wema Bank. The match was also closely contested and came to life in the 25th minute when Ayomide Ojo of Wema Bank scored from close range following a mix-up among the Sterling Jets players. However, the defending champions equalised 10 minutes into the second half time through Tobi Mejidi’s strike, and the teams remained tied after regulation time.

Opeoluwa Anjorin, Chief Executive Officer at MediaVision Limited, extended her heartfelt appreciation to all participating teams and partners for their unwavering commitment to the Nigeria Bankers Games brand. The partners include headline sponsors Whatadeal and Infinix Mobile, as well as Guinness Nigeria, Power Oil, CWAY, Pocari Sweat, and Salonpas. This platform not only promotes work-life balance but also fosters meaningful connections across the banking sector in a spirit of friendly competition, driving camaraderie and excellence among participants.