Yeye Aare Modupe Babalola , wife of renown legal icon, Afe Babalola (SAN) has called on government at all levels and other relevant stakeholders to focus on the idea of harnessing sports development to tackle poverty, unemployment and other menace affecting youths in the country.
Chief Babalola posited that Sporting is also an activity that could foster unity and cohesion among the younger ones for peaceful coexistence.
She explained that this accounted for why she instituted the idea of one of her popular pet projects, “under the aegis of Yeye Aare Babalola Athletics Sports Festival”, YABAS/YAMBAF, many years ago. .
Mrs Babalola spoke at the weekend, during the 2025 edition of the festival, held at the Stadium of the Afe Babalola University, Ado EkitI (ABUAD).
At the grand finale of the competition, sponsored by her, with full support of her husband,the ABUAD founder, several athletes, drawn from various invited secondary schools and tertiary institutions,participated and competed in different sporting activities, while those that excelled, were compensated with various prizes.
Speaking with journalists after the event,Mrs. Babalola said: “the motive behind the festival was to discover talents among youth, and keep them away from social vices.”
She added that:” sportsmen and women, discovered in the previous editions are now excelling in Nigeria and beyond. ”
She described sports development and growth as :”one of the ways, through, which the potentials of Nigerian youths can be developed for more economic gains and prosperity.”
According to her: “sports, if pursued vigorously by talented ones, is a veritable weapon that can be effectively used to fight poverty, especially in a country like Nigeria, where the unemployment of youths keeps increasing on yearly basis.”
She added that : “sports is also part of life, everybody needs it to keep body healthy and functional.”
Afe Babalola who was represented by the ABUAD’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde commended his wife for her interest in sports by sponsoring the competition since about 15 years ago.
He said “the sporting tournament had helped in fostering unity and cohesion among the students in the university and among other schools in the state”.
Babalola signalled that ABUAD is committed to always be a pacesetter in education, youth and other meaningful developments for the advancement of the country at large.