400 Student-athletes to Compete for School Bus, Honours at Pan-African Games No fewer than 400 student-athletes will compete for honours at the second Pan African School Games, with a brand-new school bus sponsored by Mikano Changan Motors among the prizes. The three-day competition, scheduled for Friday to Sunday at James Hope College, Lagos, will feature young athletes from schools across Nigeria. The organisers said that the Games would feature athletics, swimming and football across the Under-11, Under-13 and Under-15 categories. Athletics and swimming will each feature 30 events, while participating schools will compete for honours in football. Seun Akinbohun, one of the founders, said the initiative aimed to combine sporting excellence with education, career development and cultural exchange. “Our vision is to create a platform where young athletes can develop their sporting talents while gaining access to educational and career opportunities,” he said. Akinbohun said the Games would enable promising athletes to showcase their abilities before scouts, agents and educational institutions. He added that the exposure could open doors to international scholarships and other academic opportunities. Busola Tejumola, a co-founder, said the organisers remained committed to expanding participation while maintaining high standards in competition and athlete welfare. “Our goal is to attract more schools and athletes while ensuring that every participant has a rewarding experience,” he said. Tejumola said the inaugural edition, hosted by British International School, Lagos, attracted 11 schools and more than 300 student-athletes. He expressed optimism that the 2026 edition would record increased participation while maintaining high standards in event management, logistics and technical delivery. Aderoju Ope-Ajayi, also a co-founder, said the competition’s name change from Africa School Games to Pan-African School Games reflected its broader continental ambition. “We want to build an African-owned platform that brings young people together through sports, education and cultural exchange,” she said. Ope-Ajayi said the new identity reinforced the organisers’ commitment to helping young athletes compete, build friendships and access opportunities shaping their sporting and academic futures. “Our long-term vision is to establish the Games as a recognised pathway for emerging African talent while using sports to promote education, friendship and unity across the continent,” she said. She described the Games as an evolving ecosystem connecting schools, coaches, parents, scouts and educational institutions beyond sporting competition. Ope-Ajayi said partnerships with organisations such as Plumptre Advisory were linking talented athletes to reputable international institutions. She identified McCallie School in the United States, alongside Bethany School, Buckswood School and Roedean School in the United Kingdom, as institutions offering opportunities. She said the school bus sponsored by Mikano Changan Motors was one of the major attractions for participating schools. “The school bus is one of the major prizes for this year’s competition. We believe it will add excitement to the Games and provide practical value to the winning school,” she said. Ope-Ajayi said the 2026 edition had attracted support from Prime Atlantic, Zenith Bank, Mikano Changan, UAC Foods, Nigerian Exchange, 33 Productions, What Media, Kantar, Logic City and Flutterwave. She added that the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Sports Commission were also supporting the event. The organisers acknowledged challenges associated with staging a major multi-sport competition, including funding, logistics, transportation, technical officiating, safeguarding and medical support. They said lessons from the inaugural edition had strengthened planning, improved logistics, enhanced athlete welfare and raised technical standards. The Pan-African School Games is also preparing for continental expansion, with schools from Kenya and Ghana expected to participate in the 2027 edition. The organisers said the planned expansion reflected their ambition to establish the competition as a continental platform for emerging African sporting talent. They added that the long-term objective was to use sports to promote education, cultural exchange, friendship and unity across Africa. Remo Stars Announce Signing of Striker Ojor Remo Stars have announced the signing of striker Matthew Ojor ahead of the new season. The Ikenne-based club confirmed Ojor’s arrival on their social media platforms. The striker is expected to bolster Remo Stars Remo Stars’ attack for the new campaign. His arrival marks the beginning of the club’s recruitment drive for the 2026/27 season. Further signings are expected to be announced by the club in the coming days. The former Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions will lock horns with Rovers FC in their opening game of the season. The new season will commence on Saturday, 31 October. Kaduna ​‌‌​​‍⁠​‍⁠⁠‍​‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌​Football Academy Plans Tournament to Showcase Talents to Foreign Clubs The Ikon Allah Football Academy, a kaduna-based grassroots football development centre said it’s preparing another scouting tournament in Abuja to expose emerging talents to European clubs. The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the academy produced Nigerian youngster, Zadok Yohanna, now playing for European club Brighton FC. The academy’s president, Ayi Mohammed, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna. Mohammed said the competition would bring together promising young footballers and scouts from Europe and other countries. Mohammed said the academy had sustained its talent-discovery programme over the years, organising competitions four times annually to identify and develop players capable of progressing to professional football. He said preparations were underway for the forthcoming tournament, with the academy concentrating on keeping its players physically fit and mentally prepared for the competition. “We used to do this competition four times a year. We have different batches, and we invite scouts from Europe and several other countries,” Mohammed said. He expressed confidence that the initiative would produce more players capable of following the path of Yohanna, whose rise from grassroots football in kaduna to European football has drawn attention to the academy’s talent-development programme. “Yohanna joined Swedish club AIK in 2025 after attracting attention for his performances and subsequently secured a move to English Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion in June 2026. “His progression has become a reference point for the academy as it seeks to provide more young Nigerians with opportunities to pursue professional careers abroad.” Mohammed said he was optimistic about the academy’s prospects, citing its continued engagement with international football stakeholders. He also said that more than 50 players developed through the academy had secured opportunities in Europe over the years. “Beyond the upcoming competition, the academy is working towards completing its own training pitch, which I expect to be ready by December. He said the facility would strengthen the academy’s operations and provide a more suitable environment for training and developing young footballers. According to him, the planned infrastructure development comes as the academy seeks to consolidate its grassroots football programme and expand opportunities for players to progress beyond local competitions.