- By Halimah Olamide
Former Super Eagles star, Austin Okocha is to lead others to trade tackles with the NNPC Selected side in what will be the high point of the 13thNNPC Ltd. Sports Fiesta kicking off on Sunday.
According to Mr. Olufemi Soneye, Chief Communication Officer of the NNPC, the event will open at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
He said this is just as the Company strives to retain its legendary status of the team to beat in the Nigeria Oil & Gas Industry Games (NOGIG) coming up later in April, this year.
“This year’s edition of the biennial event themed“Healthy Workforce, Productive Organization,”symbolises NNPC Ltd’s belief in the integral role of physical well-being towards enhancing organizational productivity among employees.
“The event will see the Company’s employees competing in 13 games namely football, basketball, volleyball, chess, squash, scrabble, 8-ball pool, golf, tennis, table tennis, badminton, swimming and athletics,” Soneye said in his statement
He explained that the one-week event, which will climax on Friday, 23rdFebruary, 2024, will also feature a novelty match that will see the NNPC Ltd Football Team trading tackles with Ex-Super Eagles Stars, led by Nigeria’s legendary Captain, Austin JJ Okocha.
He said, “This year, the six NNPC Ltd zones have undergone a restructuring, following their consolidation into three teams that represent the Company’s three core values of Integrity (Port Harcourt/Benin); Excellence (Lagos/Warri) and Sustainability (Abuja/Kaduna).”
He added that the tournament will showcase friendly yet spirited contests among the three teams.
He added that it will also serve as a platform for selecting NNPC Ltd’s potential flagbearers at the forthcoming Nigeria Oil & Gas Industry Games (NOGIG) in April 2024, where the Company will defend its title of Overall Winner, a feat it has maintained over the years.
“The NNPC Ltd has been a serial winner of the NOGIG Games, which also features other participants from International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria and key agencies under the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
“During the last edition of NOGIG held in 2020 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, NNPC Ltd emerged the overall winner of the tournament, carting home 48 laurels, which include 13 gold, 16 silver and 19 bronze medals,” he concluded