A Review of Ojareche Abigail's Sports Manifesto

 

By Sulaiman Rashidat Mopelola 

Ojareche Abigail, the Sports Minister of the Agronomy Club, University of Ibadan, outlined plans to improve sporting participation, visibility and inclusivity in her S.W.A.G. (Sport With Abigail's Guidance) manifesto. Her account of activities undertaken so far includes the HOD's Cup, friendly matches, athlete recognition and an eFootball tournament. A review of these activities against her manifesto highlights the commitments addressed and those for which further implementation remains to be established.

Sporting Activities and Student Participation

According to Abigail, she coached the 100-level team in the CBN competition, which lost in the quarter-finals. She also served on the committee for the NAAS Week Games Day, where she supported Agronomy representatives who finished second.

She also reported organising friendly matches against RNR and Agricultural Economics. At the beginning of the first semester, she hosted a five-a-side inter-level friendly competition for freshers.

Another activity was the inauguration of the first HOD's Cup, which she said involved students across all levels. Reflecting on the turnout, she said, "I was surprised at the number of Agronomy students present."

She attributed the attendance at the match to her publicity and persuasion efforts, stating, "After the GES test, people still came for the match because of the publicity and persuasion I did."

She also noted that some students attended matches to support their colleagues without participating as players. According to her, two female students in her department took up lawn tennis but later opted out at the beginning of the second semester.

Facilities, Sponsorship and Visibility

The Sports Minister's responsibilities include liaising with the University Sports Council and keeping records of sporting and recreational facilities. Abigail said she booked pitches for friendly matches and borrowed balls and bibs.

She said Agronomy lacked adequate sporting and recreational facilities and equipment. She noted that the department's jerseys were still with players, while board games were kept in the secretariat. She added that she rented or borrowed equipment to ensure sporting activities could take place and that Agronomy would not lag behind.

Her manifesto proposed dedicated social media accounts for Agronomy Sports on Instagram and X, alongside a media and content team to document activities and improve visibility.

However, Abigail explained that during the manifesto presentation, the proposal was revised, with the Agronomy page designated for sharing sports-related content instead. She said she worked with the Public Relations Officer and shared pictures and videos in the Agronomy general group, where students could access them.

For the HOD's Cup, Abigail identified Tee Talent Sport Academy, her friends, her parents and her players as sponsors.

The use of the Agronomy page provided a means of sharing sports content, but it differed from her original proposal for dedicated sports accounts and a media and content team.

Athlete Recognition and E-Games

Abigail's manifesto proposed a "Meet Our Athletes" campaign to recognise outstanding and consistent athletes and gamers across different levels, with selection based on performance and dedication rather than popularity.

During the interview, she mentioned students involved in lawn tennis, volleyball, athletics, chess and basketball. Among those she identified were Kolajo Mercy, who placed second in the 100-metre race during the NAAS sports activities; Ifedayo, whom she identified as Agronomy's best chess player; Zenitta, who plays chess; and Halane, a 500-level student who plays basketball.

Athletes were featured alongside other students through personality spotlights on Agronomy's Instagram page. The Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Month initiative also recognised outstanding athletes, with recipients selected through a committee voting process based on their performances.

These activities provided avenues for recognising students involved in sports. However, the manifesto's proposed "Meet Our Athletes" campaign also included a selection committee and online features presenting athletes' photographs and performance statistics. The activities described in the interview do not establish the extent to which these specific elements were implemented.

On e-games, Abigail said an eFootball tournament was organised around the eighth week of the semester because it was one of the online games commonly played by students in the department. She invited students from other departments at the University of Ibadan to participate.

According to Abigail, 23 participants registered for the tournament at a fee of ₦200 each. The cash prizes totalled ₦10,000, with ₦7,000 and a gold medal for first place, ₦2,000 and a silver medal for second place, and ₦1,000 for third place.

She said the top three finishers were from other departments. Among the Agronomy participants, Imran Ibrahim finished fourth, while Abigail finished fifth. Seven Agronomy students registered for the tournament.

The tournament addressed the proposal to introduce e-games as part of Agronomy's recreational activities. However, her manifesto also proposed inter-level gaming tournaments, fixtures, leaderboards and an E-Games Committee. The organisation of one tournament does not, on its own, establish the implementation of these broader structures.

Assessing the Promises

Abigail's account identifies several activities undertaken during her tenure, including friendly matches, participation in the CBN competition and NAAS Week Games Day, the HOD's Cup and an eFootball tournament. These activities correspond to aspects of her manifesto concerning sporting competitions and participation beyond football.

The inauguration of the HOD's Cup represents a step towards her commitment to introduce the competition. She also reported organising friendly matches and supporting students involved in different sports. However, the extent to which inter-level tournaments have been sustained and whether the proposed improvements to training and fixture coordination have been implemented are not established by the activities described.

On visibility, sports-related pictures and videos were shared through the Agronomy page and general group, rather than through the dedicated accounts proposed in her manifesto. Athlete recognition also took place through personality spotlights and the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Month initiative. These activities offered ways to feature student athletes, although the implementation of all the specific elements proposed for the "Meet Our Athletes" campaign remains unclear.

The eFootball tournament provided a practical implementation of the e-games proposal. Nevertheless, the broader plans for inter-level competitions, fixtures, leaderboards and a dedicated committee go beyond the organisation of a single tournament.

Towards the end of the interview, Abigail identified what she considered her most significant achievement: "My most significant achievement is the successful outcome of the HOD competition and involving Agronomy students in other sports apart from football."

She also expressed satisfaction with the turnout at the NAAS Week Games Day and the attendance of students who came to support sporting activities after their GES test. She mentioned encouraging two female students to participate in lawn tennis, although they later opted out at the beginning of the second semester.

Overall, the activities Abigail described show progress in organising competitions and providing opportunities for participation in different sports. However, her manifesto also set out broader commitments concerning dedicated digital platforms, structured athlete features and the development of e-games. The extent to which these commitments have been fully implemented remains a consideration as her tenure continues.