ASABA/Nigeria: Team SDG 5, has defeated Team SDG 4, by two goals to nothing, to win the National Football Tournament for the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG’s in the country.
Seventeen teams representing each of the seventeen SDG goals participated at the competition in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
The event was organized by The Civil Society Advancement Forum with the theme: Localizing the SDG’s Through Sports.
The Convener, Civil Society Advancement Forum, Amb. Caroline Usikpedo-Oliseowe, noted the focus was to use the popular game of football as a tool to promote the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDG’s awareness and level of implementation in the country.
“When they get back home they too will tell their people, ‘we played football today, they say it’s SDG’s’ and people will begin to have the consciousness what is this SDG’s all about.”
Mrs. Usikpedo-Oliseowe, added with less than a decade to the 2030 target of achieving the SDG objectives, more still needed to be done in aspect of poverty eradication, gender equality and ecosystem protection especially in rural and difficult to reach areas.
“A whole lot of sectors are being left behind, especially those at the grassroots.”
The Delta State Director General, Sustainable Development Goals Dr. Andy Ilabor, describe as innovative the combination of sports and SDGs saying the state would key into the idea.
“You well know how sports is dear to the hearts of Nigerians, particularly the youths, so what better way of doing this than organizing this kind of event.”
At the end of the tournament, Team SDG 5: representing gender equality and women empowerment came tops, with Team SDG 4: pertaining to inclusive education opportunities emerge second, while Team SDG 13: Action against Climate Change was third in the overall
