VC Ekong: UNIUYO Targets Sports Monetisation with Upcoming Policy

The University of Uyo (UNIUYO) is set to roll out an extensive sports policy designed to ensure the sustainability and profitability of athletic activities, while also harmonising them with academic pursuits. This announcement was made by the institution's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christopher Ekong, during a press briefing held in Uyo on Thursday, where he addressed inquiries regarding sports development within the university.

Professor Ekong emphasised that his administration intends to establish sports as an institutionalised and deliberate policy, moving beyond mere superficial interventions. This approach, he noted, aims to benefit both students and the university as a whole. “I took the first set of appointment to go to the United States to play football. I don’t want to just intervene in sports. I want to make money from sports. I want to make sports as a policy in the university,” the Vice-Chancellor stated.

He further elaborated on the necessity for sports within the university to be self-sustaining, allowing student-athletes to effectively balance their education and athletic careers. Ekong questioned the efficacy of unsystematic support, saying, “If I support and sponsor two or three footballers or athletes to America without a policy, this university will not have money. So why do I want to just move into something that is not going to be sustainable? What is going to make this child to do sports and also go to school and be happy and balance the two?”

The Vice-Chancellor also raised concerns about some lecturers who, in his view, misunderstand the role of sports and inadvertently foster academic complacency among athletes. Such attitudes, he warned, could be detrimental to students’ progress. He quoted, “We have teachers who may not even understand sports and you go to students and warn them, that you are playing football instead of your studies and some say, don’t worry you will not pass. Once that happens, that child is finished.”

Ekong highlighted that the forthcoming sports policy is structured to secure the commitment of all stakeholders. It will also focus on providing facilities that underscore the dual importance of both education and sports, while instilling in athletes the ambition to represent Nigeria in international competitions. “We want to have a policy that everybody buys into. They will have facilities that make the sports people to know that there are two things, education and sports. And then we also put in that psyche that you are not going to stop here. You are going to go higher to represent the country,” he affirmed.

Acknowledging the university's financial constraints in building the necessary sports infrastructure, Ekong indicated that UNIUYO would seek partnerships with various development agencies. He revealed that the South-South Development Commission had visited the university two weeks prior and had provided a framework for potential intervention. “We are going to collaborate, look for people who are going to come and assist us to build those facilities. Maybe from NDDC, maybe the South-South Development Commission. I brought South-South Development Commission here and they were here two weeks ago and they sent a template on how they are going to support us,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor assured that once the new sports policy is officially launched, it would prove to be both comprehensive and highly commendable. “We are working on that document. We need to finish before we start doing anything more. When we unveil our sports policy, even you will be happy,” he concluded.