By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo
About fifty universities from the West African region have converged on the Obafemi Awolowo University OAU Ile-Ife, Osun State for the 2026 West African University Games, WAUG.
Speaking during the opening ceremony held on Saturday at the OAU sports complex, President of WAUG, Mr Shaibu Tanko, said this year’s edition is special because the Games had been in comatose for a long time before its recent resurrection.
He noted that the games were organised to foster collaboration and networking among universities across West Africa.
“WAUG has been in a coma for a long time until recently that we tried to resurrect it. I must thank the university that is hosting it now because it has not been easy, especially regarding finances,” Tanko stated.
The WAUG President, while commending the management of OAU for hosting the competition, urged “athletes to use the opportunity to collaborate and network among themselves.”
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Prof. Emmanuel Akinfala, said 18 sports will feature in the 10-day competition.
Prof. Akinfala, who is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, OAU, disclosed that about 50 universities from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone have already arrived, with more expected before full commencement on Monday.
“We are going to have eighteen games, and everything will be done within ten days. The games include football, volleyball, handball, badminton, chess, table tennis, lawn tennis, hockey, cricket, swimming, eSports, and squash,” he said.
The Pro-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ambassador Adejare Bello, said the university is proud to host the 15th edition of the competition.
Bello assured that OAU will deliver a memorable Games, adding that the organising committee has put a lot in place to make the participating universities enjoy the competition.
“This is the 15th edition, and in the last 10 years, OAU has hosted it for the second time. The last time was in 2023 and now again in 2026,” Bello said.
He stressed the importance of sports to academic life, noting that, “It is not good to walk day and night without exercising your body. It is medically recommended that if you sit in a place for one or two hours, you have to move around and stretch your legs.
“It is even recommended that you take at least 10,000 steps in a day. The university encourages that, notwithstanding that we are here to learn and do research, we must be involved in exercise,” he added.
Apart from the host, other universities participating in the games include Delta State University, Benson Idahosa University, Afe Babalola University, Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Oke-Iho, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and Lead City University.
Others are: University of Ilesa, Osun State University, Plateau State University, University of Development Studies, Ghana, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Ghana, University of Ilorin, University of Ghana, University of Abuja.
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