As part of concerted efforts to provide credible reports and reviews on the candidates and the electoral process of the UI’SU, UCJ UI under its Election Watchroom Initiative reached out to UI’ SU Sports Secretary aspirant, Victor Kolawole. In this exclusive chat with UCJ correspondents, Kolawole spoke about his candidacy and share some of his plans.
UCJ: Good day everyone. welcome to this second interview of the UCJUI Election Watch Room interview session. Today, we have with us the Sports Secretary aspirsnt, Mr. Victor Kolawole.
UCJ: Hello, Good evening. Welcome to another UCJ UI election watch room series. Can you introduce yourself?
VK: I’m Victor Kolawole, politically and popularly known as VK machine, a 400 level student of Industrial and Petroleum Engineering (IPE), Faculty of Engineering. A resident of Great Independence Hall. And I am a sports lover.
UCJ: Why are you running and what makes you think you’re the appropriate candidate for this role?
VK: Okay, I believe that the position of the University of Ibadan Sports Secretary is the position that involves or requires proper administration and has someone that has been active in administration as well as participation. Sport is a multi-faceted event as we all know. And for someone to effectively run a position of a sports secretary, you have to be actively involved in administration and participation which is the major reason I think I am the appropriate candidate for this position.
Right from my 100 level days, I’ve been actively involved in the administration of sports in the university, I have also been actively involved in participation, I have been the Captain of my department’s football since 100 level; Captain of Tom Tom football club; member of the University’s football team, and I have also participated in various marathon events organized by the university. I was the Chairman of the recently concluded UISU sport day, I was the brain behind everything, though the idea was not mine. Which is why I believe I am the best candidate for this position.
Why I am running: I believe I have been in the background for a long time and I have garnered enough experience and exposure to move University of Ibadan Sports to the next level. For example, in the last Seals cup, I was an active member of the committee. I know the loopholes and what can be corrected. I have been actively involved in sports in my 4 sessions, 5 years stay in the university. I know there are various ideas and innovations that will be brought into the University Sport community which will be appreciated by the students and the sport community. I call my agenda “The Sport Innovation”
UCJ: Can you tell us more about the office you’re running for?
VK: I think I have mentioned a little about this in my previous answers. The University of Ibadan [Students Union] Sport secretary is basically the bridge between sport council and sport community which involves the students. The Sport council is made up of high ranking officials that are not sport oriented aside from the sport secretary, perhaps. They are to administer sports issues in the university. I know it consists of the Deputy Registrar, Head of Departments, Human Kinetics. And the sports committee is made up of students that are involved in sports and active participation in sports, either by administration, participation or by being a fan.
The role of the sport secretary is to manage the various sporting events in the semester he may organize. Usually, every session, there is a sports competition organized by the sports council by the university. The sport secretary is the communication link between the students and the sport council. The sport secretary is in charge of all sporting activities during the session. The Sport secretary is in charge of ensuring that outstanding sportsmen represent the university at competitions outside the university and also in charge of the riparian of Sportsmen.
UCJ: What are your thoughts on the State of Sports in UI?
VK: Well, for lack of better word, I would rate it a 6/10. This is not due to skill issues, it is more of the administrative issues. The administration of sports from the top has issues. This session is supposed to host Inter-hall games; it’s a sport competition organized by the sport council. Every student pay a sport levy of #2,000 so they are obliged to give back to the sport community. So I gave the state of sports a 6/10 because of administrative issues. The students are talented enough due to training.
UCJ: What should Uites expect in the Inter-Faculty/Inter-Hall Games to look like if you’re elected? You mentioned that Inter-hall games are on hold due to administrative issues, so what should we expect from you?
VK: The Inter-hall games is supposed to be held this year while the Inter-faculty holds the next session. But if the Inter-hall games don’t hold this session, there will be clashes in the interest of the students and the sports council. The Sport council can propose to hold Inter-faculty or Inter-hall next session but then I believe we can arrive at a compromise. I plan to hold an Inter-hall League which I will kickstart. It has never been done in the university. Inter-hall league is a football competition where all halls of residence will be involved on a home-and-away basis. All halls will have at least 5 aside pitches. And if the Sports council does not hold Inter-hall games and decides to have the Inter-faculty Games, Halls of residence will not be left out because there will be a league that will span for 14 weeks which will be done on weekend basis either Saturday or Sunday and sometimes in the mid-week. The league will feature football alone.
UCJ: In your answer, you mentioned football competition for Inter-faculty games, there’s huge concentration on football competitions, what are your plans for other sports?
VK: I would like to say that the sports secretary does not plan the Inter-faculty and Inter-hall games, it is the university that plans these events. The sport director, not the sport secretary, draws the budget. The sport secretary can only publicize the competition, the format [that] the games will be played. He doesn’t have a total say in the planning, he can help. Besides the plans of the university, I have plans to have a swimming coaching programme because swimming is the sport that provides most medals at competitions. Swimming provides medals at Olympics, World African Games, Nigeria Sport Festival. I will also organize a Chess competition. Though I can’t say all my plans, there’ll be a sporting calendar for the session such that there will be various sports organized by the Student Union for the whole session. I can’t promise that it will include all sports. There’ll be calls for interest in various sports, and they will be integrated into the school team of the various sports. However, there has never been various competitions for various sports organized by the student union, but I can promise 4 to 5 competitions on different sports and training programmes on various sports.
UCJ: How do you plan to improve on the performance of the school’s teams at external events?
VK: The first thing to do regarding improved performance is Training. If you are not properly trained for something, you can’t properly perform. The first [step] to improve performance is Preparation. Preparation can come in various forms; training of sportsmen throughout the session, organization of welfare of the athletes.
Regarding welfare, in the last FASU games that were held in Lagos, I know of two sportsmen who transported themselves to write their GES exams and traveled back to play their match on the same day. With what they have undergone, you can’t expect optimum performance. Which is why I would work on proper organization and training all through the session. As most school teams do, they start training one week before the competition but I will make sure that I do constant checks on all coaches handling different sports.
UCJ: Your campaign began quite late. Would you say this points to your preparedness or were there other reasons?
VK: Campaign is relative. Officially the electoral body lifted ban activities on 25th of January. The SUEC lifted the ban and I have to abide by the rules. I am not expected to campaign before the ban was lifted, however, I have been soliciting for support from various angles. I’ve met with various sportsmen on what I can do when I get to the position and what will increase people’s participation in sports . I won’t say my campaign started late, the result will tell. I believe it is not how long, it is how well and how effective it has been.
UCJ: One thing you’d love to achieve in your first 100 Days in Office, if elected?
VK: 100 days in office is roughly 3 months and 10 days. According to the UI calendar right now, it’s the whole of first semester. So, in my first 100 days in office, my first achievement will be the Seals cup because it happens in the first semester. Seals cup is the best till date. I intend on holding a sport workshop, training for all sport directors (Student Associations Sport Directors) across the university. It is a training that has not been done before that is why my agenda is Sport Innovation. The training is to ensure that the organization and administration of sports across board in the university is optimal. The sports secretary can’t administer every single sporting event in the university without breaking down. Therefore, he needs able hands which is the essence of the workshop so as to train able hands. A major project that would happen is “Project Old football Pitch” the most used pitch for student activities, the whole SUB area; the tennis area, football pitch etc. There’s a project I have planned out for that particular section of the school. And also effective planning in Nigeria University Games in the first 100 days of office.
UCJ: Thank you very much. We have come to the end of the interview.
VK: Thank you.
• This interview is part of a special series on the dynamics of the 2025 Students’ Union Election by the Union of Campus Journalists under its Election Watch Room Initiative.
