UN Sports for Peace and Development day: Football peace event in Nigeria

A football match in commemoration of the United Nations (UN) Sports for Peace and Development day will hold on Friday, April 4, in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria.

The football match is aimed at passing the message of peace in a country in need a peace themed message. The match, which will hold at the football field of LEA school Utako, will serve as
an an avenue for students to implore the Nigerian government to seek for solutions to end conflicts and terrorism attacks.

Speaking about the event, the Coordinator of the match, an award winning sports journalist and a social change initiator, Aderonke Ogunleye, said she intends to live indelible marks in the lives of the school children and make the day unforgettable.

"The whole idea is having fun in a learning process, and to make a positive impact in the society through the power of sports which is known as a unifying factor. Sports cut across language race ethnicity and beliefs".

"We know that sports can make a huge difference particularly in developing communities, the football match will be an avenue to plead to various sects in Nigeria to seek peace in their dealings”.

To make the event a success, the UNAIDS, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Nigeria Football Federation, NFF and The John Utaka Foundation have partnered with Ms. Ogunleye.

Ms. Ogunleye is glad for the partnership. She said, "We thank our partners for believing in this project by showcasing their passion for the growth of Nigeria and for being a peace maker through sports. We are very grateful and we wish them all the best," she concluded

At the 2013 General Assembly, the UN proclaimed April 6 as the international day for sports for development and peace in recognition of the power of sport to mobilize people around the world for development; to use sports as a tool for increasing self confidence and as an alternative to end conflict.