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Government Secondary School, Gboko, Benue State, and Father O’Connell Science College, Minna, Niger State, emerged as champions of the 26th Nestle MILO Secondary Schools Basketball Championship after impressive performances in the national finals in Lagos.
In the girls final, Gboko Government Secondary School dethroned the defending champions, St. Jude Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa, with a convincing 68-36 victory to claim the national title.
Friday Victoria’s outstanding performances throughout the tournament earned her the Most Valuable Player award.
The men’s title went to Father O’Connell Science College who once again demonstrated their dominance in school basketball by beating King Amakree Academy of Obuama, Degema, Rivers State. Godswill Mene was named the boys’ most valuable player after playing for the Niger State champions.
Earlier in the day, Ado Grammar School, Ado-Ekiti, secured third place in the girls category with a 40-30 victory over Urhobo College, Delta State, while Davidhall International College, Obalende, Lagos, claimed bronze in the boys competition after defeating Urhobo College 51-43.
Reflecting on the championship, Nestle Nigeria Category Leader for MILO, Gilbert Tweneboah-Koduah, described the tournament as a great success, saying it had achieved its goal of using sport to educate young Nigerians beyond the classroom.
“This is exactly what we set out to achieve at MILO, to ensure that we give young Nigerians the opportunity to express themselves beyond academics,” he said.
According to him, basketball provides a platform to teach values that go far beyond the game itself.
“Sports teach teamwork, resilience and never giving up. There are times when you lose, there are times when you cry and there are times when glory comes. These are values that we believe can be imparted to children beyond academics.”
Tweneboah-Koduah also emphasized the importance of inclusion, noting that children with special needs were fully integrated into the activities.
“Whether you have special abilities or not, sports are transversal and we are very happy to leverage this platform to teach these values to young Nigerians.”
He added that the 26th edition exceeded expectations.
“This edition has been fantastic. We have received very positive feedback. People have noticed the elevation of the event, the activities, the energy and the atmosphere. We will not stop here; there will be even better editions to come.”
The President of the Nigerian School Sports Federation, Olabisi Joseph, also praised the tournament, describing the 26th edition in one word: “Awesome.”
He revealed that participation had increased from almost 13,000 schools last year to 13,256 schools this year, and described the championship as one of the most impactful grassroots sports programs in the country.
“Beyond the competition, beyond the trophies and medals, there is the impact and value that is added to our children. The values of discipline, teamwork and interaction cannot be overemphasized.”
Joseph highlighted how the championship united students from all over Nigeria.
“These children have been together for the last seven days, interacting and simply being Nigerians. This is exactly what we need at the grassroots to identify talents, teach values and foster integration.”
He added that the competition intentionally combines education with sports through cultural exchanges that allow students to showcase their traditions.
“It’s not just about sports. It’s about school and sport. It’s education and sport. We want athletes who are educated and able to express themselves. This event has become a celebration of the diversity and unity of Nigeria.”
Joseph concluded by calling on more corporate organizations to support school sports, saying sustained investment would help keep young people actively engaged while producing future champions.
With another memorable edition concluded, the MILO Secondary Schools Basketball Championship has once again reinforced its reputation as Nigeria’s premier grassroots basketball competition, developing talent, promoting education and nurturing the next generation of leaders through sports.
