To encourage more female participation in sports and also give back to the society, family, friends and mentees, at the weekend, unveiled the newly built Ibukun Awosika Sports Centre at the Methodists Girls High School (MGHS), Yaba, Lagos.
The centre was built in honour of former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika, by her mentees and family to integrate sports into the lives of young girls and foster qualities such as optimism, leadership, resilience, dedication, commitment, teamwork, practice, respect and others.
The features of the centre include a basketball court, football pitch and relay track.
Speaking at the event, Managing Director, What’s On Media, Chichi Nwoko, who spoke on behalf of the organisers, said: “It’s a privilege to be celebrating Mrs. Awosika today. To honour her as she marks her 60th birthday, family, friends and her mentees decided to join resources and build a sports centre at the Methodist Girls High School, Yaba in her name.
“Just like Mrs. Awosika, who was also an athlete as a student at MGHS, we believe that this initiative will enable young girls to build confidence and the spirit of sportsmanship to lead the future generation. We are truly delighted to honour her life and her positive contributions to the communities around her through the gift of impact.”
A surprised, but elated Awosika described the centre as a perfect birthnday gift. She said, “I am excited to be celebrating my 60th birthday with you and I am proud of you all.
“However, achieving your goals in life requires focus and resilience. I cannot promise you that it won’t be challenging but you must look beyond your challenges to accomplish your goals.”
“I am beyond enthralled that my friends, family and mentees, who know how much my alma mater means to me, went all out to give in my name…this is the ultimate honour.”
In his address, Founder/CEO Gemstone Group, Fela Durotoye, said, “We are grateful for the depth of Mrs. Awosika’s wisdom. I am delighted that we are flagging off the commissioning of this beautiful sports centre with a relay race, which symbolises how Mrs. Awosika has prepared the next generation for a greater run.
“I am also proud of the women she has mentored. Mrs. Awosika has been fruitful and has empowered the next generation. We can’t but express our gratitude for the gift of Mrs. Awosika to our generation.”
Among her mentees in attendance to celebrate her 60th birthday and contributed to the building are many who participated in some of her leadership development programmes, such as the International Women’s Leadership Conference (IWLC) in Dubai, the 360 Leadership mentorship programme and the Life Series programme, which has been run severally in Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean Islands of the Bahamas and other parts of the world.
