The 7th edition of the Gateway Tertiary Institutions Games (GATIG) will climax on Friday, September 4, at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, Ogun State, after days of competition among tertiary institutions across the state.
The games, which commenced on Monday with an opening ceremony, featured competitions in about 10 sporting events, including football, basketball, volleyball, athletics, chess, table tennis, tennis, taekwondo, badminton, and Ayo, a traditional Nigerian board game.
The closing ceremony is expected to attract dignitaries from the education and sports sectors, including vice chancellors and heads of participating institutions, Student Union leaders, and government functionaries. The Ogun State Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Isiaka Wasiu, will serve as the chief host.
GATIG, which was inaugurated in 2006 during the administration of former Governor Gbenga Daniel, when Hon. Bukola Olopade, who served as Special Adviser on Youth and Sports, is designed to promote sporting excellence, healthy competition, and grassroots sports development among students of tertiary institutions.
Speaking on the 2026 edition, the president of the GATIG Council, Mr. Kehinde Adeyemi, commended the high standard of the competition and the good conduct displayed by the student-athletes since the commencement of the games.
Adeyemi also expressed appreciation to the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for creating what he described as an enabling environment for sports development in the state.
“I want to appreciate our sports-loving governor, Dapo Abiodun, for his care and creation of an enabling environment that allowed grassroots sports development. We must also thank our amiable Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Hon. Wasiu Isiaka, for his efforts and support for school sports,” he said.
The organisers said the games continue to provide a platform for discovering young sporting talents while strengthening unity and healthy rivalry among students of tertiary institutions in Ogun State.
“To the students, it’s time to leave the books and lace the boots,” Adeyemi, who doubles as the Director of Sports at Olabisi Onabanjo University, added.
Packaged by Olanrewaju Agiri
