THE first African Military Games were held in Nairobi, Kenya between April 7 and 17, 2002.
Organised under the auspices of Organization of Military Sports in Africa OSMA, and the International Military Sports Council, CISM, the first edition had 32 African countries in attendance.
Why a second edition did not hold until now is befuddling.
Abuja 2024 Games.
Nigeria are the host of the 2nd African Military Games, from November 18 to 30, 2024 in Abuja, the Federal Capital City.
The Grand Patron of the Games is Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR;
the Chief Host is Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, OFR, a former national Basketball and Volleyball player in the Nigerian army;
and the co-Host is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Mr, Nyesom Wike.
The Games are an assembly of athletes in Military establishments in all the 54 African countries. For the 2024 edition, although 44 countries indicated an interest to participate, with only a few days to the start of the Games, 25 countries have confirmed and registered. More may likely still register and participate.
The Events
There are also 19 different sports events to be competed for. They include football, golf, basketball, volleyball, field hockey, track and field athletics, cycling, shooting, archery, fencing, handball, boxing and so on.
The Venues
The main venue is the main bowl of one of the most beautiful, state-of-the art and modern sports edifices in Africa, the MKO Abiola National Stadium. The final football match, the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics events will take place there.
Other sports will be held in various sports facilities spread all over the city of Abuja, including within Military cantonments.
All the facilities are undergoing facelifts to achieve international standards and ensure great performances.
Motto and Theme
The Motto of OSMA, the Organiser of the Games, is ‘Friendship through Sports’ capturing the essence of collaboration between the militaries and citizens of all African countries.
The theme of the 2024 Games is ‘Enhancing military cooperation in Africa through sports’.
In a clear demonstration of this spirit, although Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger had pulled out of ECOWAS (the organisation of 16 countries in West Africa, led by Nigeria) earlier this year due to ideological differences, all the three countries are participating in these games, underlining the commonality of purpose, and of sports as a powerful soft-power tool that can bridge divides, soften tensions, and drive regional and even continental relations (and conflict resolutions) between nations.
The city of Abuja
Abuja is one of the most modern cities in Africa. Located in the geographical heart of Nigeria, it is a truly cosmopolitan city with a little of every part of Nigeria in its make-up.
It is a tourist delight for visitors who enjoy the outdoors at night. The city is safe and its night life is awesome.
Activities beyond sports
During the games, the athletes, officials, all members of the visiting delegates as well as the traveling army of sports fans and the media, will be treated to a full dose and array of Nigerian hospitality, including the country’s rich and diverse culture, cuisine, entertainment, sights, sounds and happy faces of the people of Abuja.
At a press conference last Tuesday in Lagos, international Afrobeats star, Olamide (Baddo) was revealed as the main entertainer of the Games. He will perform during the opening ceremonies.
The Nigerian military and sports.
The Nigerian military has always been an integral part of Nigerian sports.
The first Nigerian and African to win an individual medal (Gold) at any international sport event was a soldier, late Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, in the high jump. It was at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954.
The Military governed Nigeria for several decades from 1965. They used their well-established tradition of physical activity in the military through sport, to establish a solid foundation for sports development in the country.
The military recruited many young Nigerians talented in sports into the armed forces; set up several Military clubs in various sports in their formations; provided a large number of the sports administrators that set up the structures and built the first major facilities for sports; supervised, organised and participated in global sports politics and events. Under the Military, with their large number of educated and well-trained personnel, excellent facilities in their barracks, tradition of discipline and getting things done without the bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with civilian governments, Nigeria’s sports development was rapid and massive.
The military produced outstanding administrators, athletes and facilities that influenced the fastest sports development program in NIgeria’s history from after the Civil war in 1970 to the mid 1990s.
At various times, military personnel headed the sports ministry, the National Sports Commission, the Nigerian Olympic Committee, and most of the national sports federations. They also supplied a large number of athletes in various national teams to international sports events.
The tradition of promoting sports within the military in Nigeria has always existed but to different degrees, and hosting of international sports events is not new to Nigeria.
The CDS – a new visionary
So, the country is excited about the hosting the 2024 African Military Games under the supervision of a soldier who was a former national athlete. It is a bold statement about sport and the military in a new dispensation.
Sport can be a very useful tool in international diplomacy, a rallying point, a unifying force. It is an empowering tool for the youths, for their enrollment into institutions including the military, engaging them in useful activity away from other societal ills, and for building a healthy civilian/military relationship.
General Christopher Musa and his team are great visionaries, following in the tradition of previous giants of military sports in Nigeria’s history.
