Nestlé Nigeria – 22 years of Grassroots Sports Development
Left-Right: Olutayo Olatunji – Category Manager Beverages at Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Wassim El-Husseini – Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Olabisi Joseph – President of Nigeria Schools Sports Federation (NSSF), Lanre Balogun – Executive Secretary of National Collegiate Sports Foundation (NCSF) and Babs Ogunade representing the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) during the Press Conference of the 22nd Milo Basketball Championship at the Nestlé Head Office on Monday.

Nestlé has announced the 2022 finals of MILO Secondary Schools’ Basketball Championship at a press conference.

The draws to determine the pattern of play at the finals were also held during the event. Twelve teams will play in the finals: six each in the male and female categories.

The finalists include Government Secondary School, Numan, Adamawa State; Akpur
College, Gboko, Benue State; St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State;
David Hall College, Obalende, Ikoyi, Lagos State; Government Girls Secondary School,
Bukavu, Kano State; and Queen Amina College, Sabon-Tasha, Kaduna State in the girls’
category.

In the boy’s category are Dutse Model International Secondary School, Jigawa State;
Government Secondary School, Karu, FCT; King Amachree Academy, Port Harcourt,
Rivers State; Topfield College, Ajugunle, Apapa, Lagos; Victorroti Private Secondary
School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State, and Bishop Dimieari Grammar School, Obom,
Bayelsa State.

The Championship started this year with over 10,000 teams participating in the State
preliminaries. The winners from the first stage went on to the Regional Conference
stage where the finalists who will play in the National Finale emerged.

Nestlé Nigeria – 22 years of Grassroots Sports Development
Wassim El-Husseini, MD/CEO Nestlé Nigeria PLC.

During the press conference, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of
Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Mr. Wassim El-Husseini said “For over two decades now, Nestlé has
been at the forefront of grassroots sports development in Nigeria through the Nestlé
MILO Secondary Schools’ Basketball Championship. We continue to do our utmost to
help shape a healthier and happier generation of Nigerians by encouraging them to
participate in sporting activities. MILO Basketball Championship also provides a platform
to help children imbibe values that set the right foundation for their future. They learn
grit – perseverance through hardship, courage to overcome fear, ability to work in a
team, self-belief, respect, and leadership.”

Also speaking at the press conference, the Category Manager – Beverages, Nestlé Nigeria
PLC, Mr. Olutayo Olatunji said “The MILO Basketball Championship now brings together over 10,000 schools every year. This Championship started with less than 500 schools in 1999. The school game has grown beyond being just a sport to a passion that helps to discipline the body and mind. We thank our long-standing partners who have been part of the success of the MILO Basketball Championship for these 22 editions – the Nigerian Schools Sports Federation (NSSF), the National Collegiate Sports Foundation (NCSF)”.

Nestlé Nigeria – 22 years of Grassroots Sports Development
Left-Right: Olutayo Olatunji – Category Manager Beverages at Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Wassim El-Husseini – Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Olabisi Joseph – President of Nigeria Schools Sports Federation (NSSF), Lanre Balogun – Executive Secretary of National Collegiate Sports Foundation (NCSF) and Babs Ogunade representing the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) during the Press Conference of the 22nd Milo Basketball Championship at the Nestlé Head Office on Monday.

According to the National President of the Nigeria Schools’ Sports Federation, Olabisi Joseph, “Nestlé Nigeria PLC has made significant contributions to the growth of sports in Nigeria and the creation of a bright future for young people by supporting and promoting basketball in schools.” She said further, “Every year, our schoolboys and girls look forward to participating in the biggest grassroots basketball championship in Africa, which is fondly called MILO Basketball.”

Mr. Lanre Balogun, Executive Secretary of the National Collegiate Sports Foundation
(NSSF), who also spoke at the press conference said, ”This Championship continues to
grow from strength to strength, thanks to the commitment of our sponsors, Nestlé Nigeria PLC. We will all agree that 22 years of continuous sponsorship in the life of any organization is highly commendable and worthy of emulation. Therefore, Nestlé Nigeria PLC deserves all the accolades for maintaining the sponsorship of this event.”

The draws grouped the six teams in the girls’ and boys’ categories each into groups ‘A’
and ‘B’. In the girls’ category, St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State,
Government Girls Secondary School, Bukavu, Kano State, and Queen Amina College,
Sabon-Tasha, Kaduna State will play in group ‘A’, while David Hall College, Obalende,
Ikoyi, Lagos State, Government Secondary School, Numan, Adamawa State and Akpur
College, Gboko, Benue State and will play in group ‘B’.

In the boys’ category, Government Secondary School, Karu, FCT, Bishop Dimieari
Grammar School, Obom, Bayelsa State and Victorroti Private Secondary School, Idi-Aba,
Abeokuta, Ogun State will play in group ‘A’ while Topfield College, Ajugunle, Apapa,
Lagos, King Amachree Academy, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Dutse Model
International Secondary School, Jigawa State, will play in group ‘B’.

The first Conference – Savanna Conference – was hosted at the Sanni Abacha Stadium,
Kano, from 7th to 13th of May 2022. The states that make up this Conference are Yobe,
Borno, Taraba, Zamfara, and host Kano. Others are Gombe, Katsina, Bauchi and Jigawa.
The girls from Government Secondary School, Numan, Adamawa State, won in the girl’s
category while the boys from Dutse Model International Secondary School, Jigawa State
won in the boy’s category.

The Championship then moved to the Ilorin Township Stadium, in the Kwara State
capital, for the Central Conference from 14th to 20th of May. The states invited to play at
the Central Conference are Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau, and host Kwara. Others are Benue,
Kebbi, Kaduna, Sokoto and the F.C.T (Abuja). Akpur College, Gboko, Benue State
emerged Champions in the girls’ category, while Government Secondary School, Karu,
FCT won in the boys’ category.Nestlé Nigeria – 22 years of Grassroots Sports Development

The Equatorial Conference was hosted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu from21st
to 27th of May 2022. The states that make up this Conference are Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross
River and host Enugu. Others are Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Abia, Imo, and Anambra. St.
Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State won in the girls’ category while
King Amachree Academy, Port Harcourt, Rivers State won in the boys’ category.
The fourth and final Conference – Western Conference – was hosted at the Lekan Salami
Stadium, Adamasingba in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital from the 28th of May to the 3rd of
June. The Conference comprises Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti, and the host state, Oyo.
Others are Edo, Delta, Osun and Kogi. At this Conference, David Hall College, Obalende,
Ikoyi, and Topfield College, Ajegunle, Apapa, both from Lagos won in the girls’ and boys’
categories respectively.Nestlé Nigeria – 22 years of Grassroots Sports Development

As it is the tradition of the Championship, the four best losing teams were also invited to
participate in the grand finale. In the girls’ category both Government Girls Secondary
School, Bukavu, Kano State and Queen Amina College, Sabon-Tasha, Kaduna State
emerged best losing teams from the four Conferences while Victorroti Private Secondary
School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State, and Bishop Dimieari Grammar School, Obom,
Bayelsa State emerged in the boys’ category from the four Conferences.
These six teams will jostle for the coveted prices of a Champions trophy, cash prize,
basketball kits, and lots of other MILO goodies in both the boys’ and girls’ categories of
the Championship. This year, the National Finals will hold at the Indoor Sports Hall of the
National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos from June 25 to July 1, 2022. The final games will be
played in both the girls’ and boys’ categories on Thursday, June 30, 2022.

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