Inter-tertiary Competitions in Nigeria

The tertiary institutions in Nigeria engage in various intercollegiate competitions such as NUGA (Nigerian Universities Games Association), NIPOGA (Nigerian Polytechnics Games Association), and NATCEGA (Nigerian Advanced Teachers and Colleges of Education Games Association).

The following are among regular tertiary sports competitions in Nigeria.

1.      Nigeria Universities Games Association (NUGA)

2.      Nigeria College of Education Games Association (NICEGA)

3.      Nigeria Polytechnic Games Association (NIPOGA)

1.      Nigerian University Games Association

The Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) organizes university-level sports events in Nigeria. It hosts a bi-annual interuniversity sports competition called the University Games. The first NUGA games were held at the University of Ibadan in 1966. 36 Nigerian universities are members.

NUGA approves fifteen different sporting events at the University Games: track and field, badminton, basketball, chess, cricket, handball, hockey, judo, soccer, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, and volleyball.

NUGA was founded in 1966 at the University of Ibadan following the first West African University Games (WAUG) in Ibadan in 1965.In 1970, NUGA became a member of the World Federation of University Games (FISU), and in 1974 was a founding member of the All Africa University Games Association (FASU).

Aim and Objectives of NUGA Games

·         To provide for the total well-being of the students

·         Encouragement and development of sportsmanship in all Nigerian universities.

·         Organization of inter-University sport

·         To provide opportunities for other international games such as West African University Games (WAUG), All-African University Games (FASU) and International Federation of University Games (FISU).

2.       Nigeria College of Education Games Association (NICEGA)

The NICEGA is a composition of all colleges of education institution Games in Nigeria. It was inaugurated in 1964, Ransome kuti, College of Education was the host of the first games thereafter the games were held every two years. It was also an avenue to produce talents for the country in international competitions e.g. All Africa Games Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games.

Aims and Objectives of NICEGA are

·         To enhance unity and mutual understanding among students in the colleges

·         To attain and maintain high level of physical fitness

·         To acquire satisfactory skills in recreational activities

·         To ensure a healthy balance between mental and physical activity

·         To aid proper social development among students and between sexes

·         To attain and train gifted students for competitions at national and international level

3.      Nigeria Polytechnic Games Association (NIPOGA)

The Nigeria Polytechnic Games (NIPOGA); sport festival is a successor to Nigeria Association of Technical Student Games (NATS) - NATS was exclusively a student organization, the NATS games started in 1971, with the old Polytechnic and College of Technologies; such as Ibadan Polytechnic and Yaba College of Technology, thereafter a meeting of students representatives of Nigeria polytechnic and college of education was held in kaduna under the chairmanship of Mallam Duko on 29^th of May 1974, it was resolved and then replace NATS game with a biennial, one to be known as NIPOGA. After two years the first NIPOGA game finally took place at the polytechnic of Ibadan from 5^th – 9^th 1976.