Ekiti State has once again distinguished itself on the national stage as its student representatives delivered an exceptional performance at the National-Level AGILE Games 2025, held in Abuja from Sunday, 25th to Tuesday 27th May. The AGILE Games, designed to promote the talents, creativity, and empowerment of adolescent girls in public secondary schools, featured seven participating states: Kano, Plateau, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Borno, and Ekiti.
At the close of the keenly contested event, Ekiti emerged with impressive results across both sporting and non-sporting categories. In the non-sport events, Ekiti secured first position in the Essay Writing category, while students placed second in both Debate and Spelling Bee. The state also came fourth in Digital Literacy and Painting, and fifth in Environmental and Entrepreneurship. In the sports category, the Ekiti girls’ basketball team clinched second position, while the boys’ team came third.
A major highlight of the event was the outstanding participation of Awelewa Eniola, a student of Government Special School, Ido-Ekiti, who competed in the painting category. Although he placed fourth, his artwork captivated the attention of the First Lady of the Federation, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. Deeply moved by the student’s creative expression and determination, the First Lady invited Eniola, accompanied by her mother Mrs Mary Awelewa and the Ekiti State AGILE Project Coordinator, Mrs Yewande Adesua, to present the painting to her personally at the State House during the award ceremony held on Tuesday, 27th May.
In a remarkable show of compassion and encouragement, the First Lady gifted the sum of one million naira to Eniola’s mother to support the student’s welfare. Further support came from the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Ms. Aisha Garba, who jointly donated five hundred and seventy thousand naira towards the procurement of a high-quality, comfortable wheelchair for the young artist.
The AGILE Games 2025 have not only served as a platform for academic and sporting excellence but also brought to the fore inspiring stories of resilience and inclusion. Ekiti’s performance, along with the national recognition accorded to Awelewa Eniola, stands as a proud testament to the state’s commitment to inclusive education and the holistic development of every child, regardless of physical ability.
As the curtains fall on this year’s AGILE Games, the achievements of Ekiti students continue to resonate across the nation, inspiring renewed hope for the future of girl-child education and empowerment in Nigeria.