With the official opening ceremony of the 17th edition of the Nigerian Colleges of Agriculture And Related Disciplines Games tagged: NICARDGA Vom/Kuru 2025 taking center stage on Wednesday, 26th of November, 2025, the Plateau State Football Association, led by Hon(Dr) Prince Suleiman Yahaya Kwande has supported the Football event of the games with some equipments.
Speaking during the visit paid on the PFA at their secretariat by the Local Organizing Committee led by the President of NASCARD, Mr. Okechalu Audu, Dr. Veracruz, Maria Abbas and the Secretary, Mike Oije, the PFA Chairman, Hon Suleiman Yahaya Kwande appreciates their visit: “I must commend you all for deeming it fit to come intimate the football house about your sports festival which includes football. In a little way of support, we present you balls, branded trophy for the winners and branded medals for the winners, runners up and for the third place team. And apart from that we will also be at the look out to see if we can get any talented player or players we can help take to Plateau United, Mighty Jets or other professional clubsides in Nigeria or abroad as the case may be.”
A visibly happy and fulfilled Okechalu Audu, commended the PFA leadership for the kind gesture. However, he lamented the Games lack of adequate support. “We sincerely appreciate the PFA for this big support. This marks a very good partnership and a new beginning for our Games and we pray this support from the PFA will not be a one off thing. Just like Oliver Twist, we will still come around to ask for your support to make the Games vibrant.”
This games for Agricultural institutions in Nigeria received a boost when Nigeria University Games(NUGA) became so popular, but other Higher Institutions in Nigeria ( including Agricultural institutions) had no umbrella under which they could gather for recreation in sports. Thus, when Agricultural institutions started developing from Agricultural Development Centres (ADC), to Agricultural Training Centres (ATC), to Schools of Agriculture (SOA), and finally, Colleges of Agriculture (COA) were established Nationwide. Based on the above narrative, the heat was on, and time was ripe for a cental umbrella to organise Games for Agricultural Schools and Colleges in Nigeria.
By 1975 to 1993, Nigeria Schools of Agriculture, came under the umbrella of NIGERIA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES GAMES (NACOGA) to show friendship and compete in Games and Sports at the National level. Many Agricultural Colleges successfully hosted the Games within this period, with many talented athletes discovered Nationwide. The last NACOGA was held in College of Agriculture, Lafia in 1993.
Unfortunately, NACOGA went into oblivion after the Lafia Games in 1993. There may be various reasons why the Games went down. These includes financial difficulties due to Structural Adjustment Programmes of the Federal government, lack of interest by subsequent administrations, unruly behaviour of participants and fielding of mercenaries, which may have aided the unruly behaviours among others.
From 1994 to 2001, no Games were staged and this became a thorn in the flesh of the Student Union Government (SUG) in the Colleges of Agriculture at that time. Many meetings were held with Management of Institutions to no avail. At the end of consultations but without headway, the Student Union Government of Agricultural institutions decided to go it on their own to stage their games.They chose Federal College of Agriculture, Akure to be their venue and 2002 as the year of revamping their National Games (NACOGA).
When the Management of institutions and Sports Coordinators saw that it will be a shameful thing, to see Students doing what they could not do and how they were not ready to back down; arrangements were quickly made to take away the management of the Games from the students to avoid eventualities.
AKURE, 2002
A quick arrangement was made and the Agricultural students National Games was finally held in Federal College of Agriculture, Akure in 2002. It was also in Akure that a new name and new leadership evolved.
The new name of the National Games moved from NACOGA to NIGERIA COLLEGES OF AGRICULTURE AND RELATED DISCIPLINES GAMES (NICARDGA) after a long heated deliberations by the Coordinators present ( including Mr Orbura Jacob, the current Secretary General of the Games).
LEADERSHIP
From the resuscitation of the Games in 2002 the Leadership has changed hands from Mr. Bankole (FCA, Akure 2002-2009) to Alhaji Mai Lafiya ( COA, Lafia, 2009-2018) to Mr Audu Okachelu Akpala (College of Forestry, jos, 2018 to date).
The Secretariat has not been that lucky to change hands. Dr. Okereke Samuel has been the secretary of the Games since 2002 to 2018. Mr Orbura Jacob took over at FCA Ishiagu, and shall handover, hopefully after VOM/KURU 2025 Games.
Meanwhile, the following Provosts led the National Commottee of Heads of Colleges of Agriculture and Related Disciplines (NACHARD) from Professor Garba Hamidu Sharubutu to Dr O Akande
GAMES AND GAMES EPILEPCY:
NICARDGA is a bi annual games; held from one geo-political zone to another ,thus making it a true National Games. Since the Games bounced back in 2002, it has been from Akure (2002) to FECOLERT KURU, Jos (2006) Kano (Danbatta 2009), Yandev, Benue State (2014), Kabba, (2016) New Bussa, (2019) Ishiagu, Ebonyi State (2021), FCC, Ibadan 2023 and now, FCAHPT KURU, Jos (2025).
Throughout this period Leadership has never rested on its oars from keeping the Games going on.
However, shortcomings are found here and there due to constant change of Leadership and Coordinators in the Colleges, lack of sponsorship and sometimes elections in the zones scheduled for game.
SPONSORSHIP
Since NICARDGA was registered about 2009, their attempts to be recognised and sponsored by the National Games body of Youth and Sports has proved abortive. Many trips to the body with promises has gone unfulfilled. SSI Media gathers that efforts are still on in this direction and hope is still alive; especially with the huge support received from the Plateau State Football Association which has gone a long way in making the football event a success already.
The Vom/Kuru NICARDGA GAMES’ opening ceremony will be held on Wednesday, 26th of November, 2025 with the following Sporting events:
Football
Basketball
Volleyball
Table Tennis
Chess
Tennis
Scrabble
Badminton
Athletics
Ayo.
The Games will come to an end on the 7th of December, 2025.
