Ahead of the 27th edition of the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA), about 8,000 contingents said to have registered for participation as over 200 were disqualified for their inability to meet up with the criteria. Acenews online reports.

Initially, the 27th edition of NUGA Games is billed to kick off 5th November, 2025, at University of Jos.

Speaking during a week long accreditation exercise, held at the faculty of veterinary medicine university of Jos Naraguta campus, Prof. M.G. Akase, Technical Chairman, NUGA Games revealed  the accreditation has been going well as they have been able to disqualify many athletes who did not meet the criteria.

"For the first time, we are working long hours—sometimes from 7:00 a.m. until midnight. Each zone brings not less than 10 universities, and we attend to three zones per day. Sometimes the process overlaps into the next day.

"The major challenge has been the university portals. For us to certify an athlete, we need to verify from the university’s portal that the person is a bona fide student. We check if they are current students, if they have paid school fees, if they have JAMB admission, and if their admission is valid. Without access to the portal, it is difficult to confirm.
"So far, we have attended to about 60 universities. Among them, two universities stood out—Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, and Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai. They met all requirements excellently. On the other hand, we have disqualified over 50 athletes from different institutions. In one university, out of 300 athletes, 70 were disqualified. This shows that we are determined to have credible games," Prof. Akase stated.

The technical chairman said the goal of the accreditation is to reduce protests and appeals."In the last games at UNILAG in 2022, we had only five protest cases. With this rigorous accreditation, we expect even fewer cases this time.

"Some universities tried to smuggle in athletes who were not genuine students. With the security checks on the portals, we detected these cases early. That is why we have so many disqualifications this year."

On the issue of preparedness, he admitted that, "I am impressed with the level of preparation. I met with contractors on-site, and work is ongoing. The Vice-Chancellor has shown strong commitment.

"For facilities, the indoor hall is almost at roofing stage and should be ready before the end of October. The tartan track base has been laid; once funds are available, the track itself can be completed within one to two weeks. With this, most of the games will be held on campus. Only a few, like swimming, may be hosted outside, since the pool may not be ready.

"We also introduced the idea of 'city games' for events that cannot hold inside the university before November 5. This means the games will not be postponed again, as the date is now final."

On the case of postgraduate students who eager to partake in the games, Prof. Akase confirmed they pay attention to the year of entry. "For example, students admitted in 2016, 2017, or 2018 have already had the chance to participate in previous games, so they are not eligible. Generally, only students admitted from 2019 onwards are considered, except in special cases."

Vice Chancellor University of Jos, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, commended the ICT teams that have come from all the country, and athletes are being registered to ensure smooth games.

The VC also expressed confidence that the university administration are making tremendous effort towards fixing the infrastructures before kick off date.

Chairman University of Jos NUGA local organising committee, Prof. Ishaya Pam, said their teams are practicing hard for the games, and the infrastructure is coming up. "If you go around, you will see activities going on in the main bowl of the stadium. The grass will be planted this week, and the pavilions are being constructed. Other projects, like the indoor sports halls, are also progressing. Hopefully, we shall be ready for most of the games."