At 16-year-old, Maryam Abdullateef became one of the best female football players in Nurudeen Grammar School Ogbomoso, a dream she hoped to nurture into becoming like the professional Nigerian footballer and Barcelona striker, Asisat Oshoala.
Upon her admission into Usmanu Danfodiyo University for a 5 year’s course in 2019, the 24-year-old thought she could advance her skills with the university’s sporting facilities but the subpar environment and poor equipment shattered the dreams of the aspiring footballer.
“The sporting facilities affected me negatively. It’s not properly constructed or designed for playing football. Players get easily hurt because you can just knock a toe with a stone while playing,” Maryam told Campus the News Digest.
Despite Sokoto weather, the football bleacher is unsheltered; it is not roofed. In addition, there are no nets in the hooks for basketball and volleyball— they are cemented with concrete. This has prevented many sports lovers from visiting the stadium.
Although, contained in page 26 of the revised 2020/2021 UDU students’ handbook that provision had been made for the school sports complex. The part of it read that– “provision has been made for a University sports Complex in the master plan, which is yet to be fully executed. However, a mini-stadium complex does exist with facilities for football, volleyball, lawn tennis, basketball and an eight lane track for athletics.”
There are also standard squash, lawn tennis, fives and badminton courts located close to Jubril Aminu Hall at the Main Campus. Provision for lawn tennis is at the City Campus, whereas football and volleyball are at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH),” It stated.
UDUS mini-stadium which is located on the Main campus remains the same. It is not grassed with the perennial ryegrass or green carpet that is commonly used for football pitches; it is bare-hardened ground with pebbles and shrubs recently sparkling in the stadium while the dressing rooms turn dumping site . She said the ground that she used for practice was not conducive for athletes.
Like Maryam, Davidson David, a 400-level chemical life Science student, recounted how the basketball pitch is very delicate and that: if anything is faulty it will have to be taken off at that moment and the court is not given much attention. Recalling that before the pitch was moved from the back of the male hostels to the stadium— they (players) took care of almost everything. However, when it’s mounted on the mini-stadium the school takes care of everything but there is an issue with the boarding while fixing.
“I don’t know if the person in charge of the contract asked the captain’s attention while they were doing the fixing because the boards and the rings were not fixed properly, that is why the boards easily crack, it does not hold the board firmly and doesn’t last.
“We had been managing the court not until we went for a break. The villagers and Yaro boys around the boards came down and the rings were missing. Whenever people are not around, they will just come and cart the boards away, and mess up the place with feces and bottles. The school should provide a security man to watch the stadium. I went to see the principal coach to help us talk to the DEAN of student affairs,” David explained.
Allocation for Sports
In the 2018/2019 academic session, students in UDUS paid N1,500 as sports and games development fees; N2,000 in 2019/2020; N2,000 in 2020/2021; and N3,000 in 2022/2023 session as contained in the student’s schedule of payments of each year.
According to data recently obtained by High Time Education from World University Ranking, the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) students in UDUS, aggregates to 23,553. This data means that UDUS received an average of N35,329,500 million for sports development in 2018/2019 academic session; N47,106,000 in 2019/2020; also received N47,106,000 in 2020/2021 and in 2022/2023 in N70,659,000.
However, despite this funding, sporting equipment and facilities remained defaced with either subpar or uncompleted facilities.
Female Participation in Sporting, NUGA’s Competition in UDUS
Being a female athlete, Maryam would be in the field alone for more than four hours and nobody would be ready to join her to achieve the goal.
“Some would be sneering at me as if I stole something or did an ungodly act at the market overt. “I later quit,” Maryam commented with dissatisfaction rounding her face.
‘I did feel reluctant to showcase myself as a result of the society’— Yusuf Shukro
Similar is the case of Yusuf Shukro, 23, who has now left UDUS for Kwarapoly for personal reasons. Shukro is a basketball enthusiast. She gained admission to study literature at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto in 2021. However, on reaching Sokoto she struggled to get a coach and mates that would make the career easily be accomplished but she got none. She encountered skepticism being a female athlete as many perceived her as an unserious fellow. “I love basketball, but there is not enough football court in UDUS and the one in the stadium is not enough,” she recounted.
While speaking with this Reporter, Bashiir Abdulrahman, The immediate former SU Sports Director, UDUS, narrated how some number of female students reached out to join the ongoing DEAN cup but they did not meet up with the time. Abdulrahman said they are aware of the limited inclusion of females in sports at the university and working actively to address the issue.
‘Although, the environment contributes but some female students show no interest; and if NUGA honors UDUS, the management would be committed to improving the facilities’— SU Sports Director, UDUS.
However, speaking with UDUS Sports Officer, Mr. Usmanu Abdullahi Ribah told this reporter that the reason is due to some factors: there are no standard facilities that encourage; there is not enough sporting equipment while some feel ashamed to put on their sportswear, thinking UDUS is an ‘Islamatized’ community.
“Also, previously, there was not enough encouragement from the varsity. Encouragement might not be in cash, a female student that participated in NUGA and won a medal might be given free accommodation and this will motivate others.”
Mr. Usmanu thereby said if the stadium could be furnished with standard facilities and sporting equipment by giving the contract to who knows when and where to do it. They will do the rest to encourage female athletes and the school will be bidding on hosting rights; and if the school is granted this right, it will help the school to be winning grants from the federal government like the likes of UNILAG, UNIBADAN and the likes.
“We don’t have anything to host the NUGA. If we propose to host NUGA, there is a team that will be sent from NUGA council to inspect the facilities whether they are up to standard,” Mr. Usmanu commented that if the facilities are sub-substandard, NUGA will not grant hosting right.
Sporting Keeps Students Fit —Experts Weigh
UNICEF report shows sport has a positive impact on one’s body and mind; builds strength, boosts confidence and teaches independence. According to its new report, participating in sports improves educational attainment and skills development including leadership, self-esteem, and future prospects.
Meanwhile, Otuekong Aniedi Akpaneto, a sports expert, unraveled the importance of sports in students’ health and lives.
“Sports are very important to students because they help them work out mentally example a game like chess. It also helps to bring students together which brings harmony among them especially when they are in the same team.
“Academically, sports help students to think better and helps them to think strategically. It relieves mental stress. Sometimes you might hear how students complain about their Brain being overloaded with things but with sport, it helps to reduce that mental fatigue thus, making students work well.”
According to Otuekong, lack of sporting facilities might affect students’ fitness and also give them a low chance of pursuing their career for those of them who want to make sport their profession,” commented him.
Management Reacts
Speaking with Professor Aliyu Umar, the Dean of Students Affairs about the execution of the provision that was provided for the sporting Complex in the master plan, as stated according to the UDUS students’ handbook – which is yet to be fully executed. He referred this reporter to UDUS Sport Officer, Mr. Usmanu Abdullahi Ribah, who explained that some of the developmental fees are used for maintenance, including the building of courts; and sponsor staff and players for seminars and competitions. He however confirmed that they have been having meetings and the current DEAN of Students Affairs, Professor Aliyu Umar, is always ready for development and is currently working for great development and infrastructure.
“If you’re not graduating soon, in the two to three years to come, UDUS might have a new stadium,” he hoped.