For over three decade universities were said to have neglected the develop-ment of sporting as part of the extra-curriculum activities in the tertiary institutions of learning, Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission Professor Julius A. Okogie has said.

Professor Okogie who made the assertion while declaring open the first National Conferen-ce on Sports Development in the Nigerian Universities held in A-buja yesterday, noted that it was in line with the mandate of the NUC to ensure that all university undergraduates were given the necessary support and encoura-gement to fully realise their po-tentials.

Represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary University Education Professor Ignatius Uvah the Executive Secretary said interim findings from the eva-luation of the data analysis carried out by the commission two months ago which evaluated the status of student support ser-vices and facilities in the insti-tutions did not give an encoura-ging picture of the state of sports and recreational facilities in Nige-rian universities.

"The NUC has convened this conference of sports co-coordi-nators and directors of Nigerian universities to take a closer look at this all important matter", Okogie said.

He disclosed that the confe-rence will examine five major issues contingent upon the pre-sent level of sports development in Nigerian universities including administration, provision of necessary infrastructures fund-ing as well as research and capa-city building.