The Executive Director of Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Dr Patrick Adebola, has encouraged researchers to see sporting engagement as a means of exchanging ideas in a relaxed atmosphere.
Adebola said this in Ibadan on Tuesday during the opening of the 18th edition of the Research Institutes Games Association of Nigeria (RIGAN), hosted by CRIN.
The executive director said the games would not only encourage fair competition but also assist in building bridges, creating memories and showcasing unique individual talents.
Adebola explained the festival would also create an interactive platform for researchers and other officers across research and development organisations.
“This is healthy for researchers and ultimately, Nigeria’s economy.
“I’d like to use this opportunity to call on all concerned at various quarters to embrace and support the RIGAN vision,” he said.
A former Nigerian football international, Mutiu Adepoju, describing the event as an avenue for talent discovery, said he started his football career in CRIN, playing in the RIGAN games of 1984.
Adepoju, who said he was born in CRIN because his father worked with the institute, urged the participants to try their best and follow the games’ rules and regulations.
Earlier, RIGAN National President, Prof. Oluwaferanmi Owolade, said the 2024 edition was special because it tallied with the 60th anniversary of CRIN.
He said RIGAN comprised 30 research and development institutes spread across the following ministries: Agriculture and Food Security; Science and Technology; Health; Youth and Sports, Education, and Environment.
According to Owolade, RIGAN’s objectives include bringing the various institutes together through sporting activities, friendship and body fitness, to attain set goals of research and development, and discovering talents.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the opening programme witnessed a march past and a match between CRIN and the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin.
The match ended 1-0 in favour of CRIN. (NAN)
