King Amakree Academy, GSS Gboko Clinch Historic First National MILO Basketball Championship Titles

King Amakree Academy, GSS Gboko Clinch Historic First National MILO Basketball Championship Titles
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King Amakree Academy, GSS Gboko Clinch Historic First National MILO Basketball Championship Titles

History was made at the 26th MILO Basketball Championship National Finals as King Amakree Academy, Rivers State, and Government Secondary School (GSS), Gboko, Benue State, claimed their first-ever national titles, reinforcing the championship’s enduring legacy as Nigeria’s leading platform for discovering and developing young basketball talent.

Held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, the National Finals brought together the four conference champions from across the country alongside the two best-performing runners-up. Following an exciting group stage, the top teams advanced to the championship finals, where two new national champions emerged.

In the girls’ final, Government Secondary School (GSS), Gboko, Benue State, defeated multiple-time champions St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State, 68–36 to secure the school’s first national title and complete an outstanding tournament campaign. Jersey No. 6, Ada Friday, was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the girls’ tournament.
The boys’ final also produced a historic result as King Amakree Academy, Rivers State, defeated three-time national and returning champions Father O’Connell Science College, Niger State, 56–54 to lift the national trophy for the first time in the school’s history. Jersey No. 8, Godswill Mene, was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the boys’ tournament.

For more than two decades, the MILO Basketball Championship has been at the heart of grassroots basketball development in Nigeria. This year’s championship engaged more than 13,000 secondary schools across Nigeria through competitions held across the Savannah, Central, Atlantic and Western Conferences before culminating in the National Finals in Lagos, reflecting the championship’s wide reach and enduring commitment to developing young talent across the country.

At its core, the MILO Basketball Championship is about more than basketball. It instils values such as discipline, resilience, confidence and teamwork while giving young people the opportunity to compete, grow and realise their potential. That commitment came to life at the 26th edition, where King Amakree Academy, Rivers State, and Government Secondary School (GSS), Gboko, Benue State, became first-time national champions, demonstrating that every young person has the potential to succeed.

Speaking at the National Finals, Wassim ElHusseini, Managing Director and CEO of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, highlighted that the MILO Basketball Championship remains one of the ways Nestlé Nigeria continues to invest in youth development and create shared value.
“At Nestlé Nigeria, Creating Shared Value is at the heart of how we do business. We believe our success is closely connected to the well-being of the communities we serve. That is why we continue to invest in initiatives like the MILO Basketball Championship, creating opportunities for young people to realise their full potential. For 26 years, this championship has been about more than basketball. It has been a platform where young people learn discipline, teamwork, resilience and self-belief. These are qualities that not only make better athletes but also help shape responsible leaders and stronger communities,” he said.

Echoing this commitment, Gilbert Tweneboah-Koduah, Category Lead, MILO, said “This year’s championship is a powerful reminder of what the MILO Basketball Championship stands for. At MILO, we believe every child has the potential to achieve something great when given the right support and opportunity. Seeing two schools become national champions for the first time shows that every participating team has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of where they come from or their history in the competition. It reinforces our commitment to providing a platform where young people can discover their potential, build character and realise their dreams through sport.”

The championship also featured an inclusive wheelchair basketball exhibition match involving young para-athletes, reflecting MILO’s commitment to inclusion and its belief in the potential of every child.

Winning teams received championship trophies, cash prizes, basketball kits and MILO products in recognition of their outstanding performances.

As the latest champions join the growing legacy of schools shaped by the championship, the MILO Basketball Championship continues to create opportunities for young Nigerians to discover their potential, build confidence and develop the values needed to succeed both on and off the court. Together with the MILO Building Champs initiative, which reached around 7 million children in 2025 through school-based physical activity programmes, the championship forms part of MILO’s long-standing commitment to helping young Nigerians embrace active lifestyles, build character and realise their full potential through sport.

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Customs Unveils 3,852 Successful Recruits, Adopts Annual Employment Exercise The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the release of the final list of 3,852 successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise and unveiled plans to institutionalise annual recruitment to ensure continuous manpower renewal. Speaking at a press briefing, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the successful applicants were selected across three entry cadres, with 1,275 recruited into the Superintendent Cadre, 367 into the Inspectorate Cadre, and 2,210 into the Customs Assistant Cadre. Adeniyi said the publication of the final list marks the successful conclusion of the recruitment exercise, which commenced in December 2024. He apologised for the delay in completing the exercise, attributing it to the unprecedented number of applications received and the Service’s determination to conduct a transparent, credible and merit-driven recruitment process. According to the Customs boss, the Service received 573,680 applications for just 3,852 available positions, making the exercise one of the most competitive in the agency’s history. He explained that all applications underwent rigorous screening procedures, including computer-based examinations, verification of credentials against the National Identity database, and additional checks where inconsistencies were detected. He noted that candidates who made the final list would still undergo physical and medical examinations before receiving final approval from the Nigeria Customs Service Board. Adeniyi disclosed that the overall success rate was 0.67 per cent, meaning only one out of every 148 applicants secured a place in the exercise. Breaking down the figures, he said the Superintendent Cadre attracted 276,995 applications for 1,275 vacancies, representing one successful applicant out of every 217 candidates. The Inspectorate Cadre recorded 128,604 applications for 367 positions, making it the most competitive category with one successful candidate for every 350 applicants, while the Customs Assistant Cadre received 168,081 applications for 2,210 vacancies, translating to one successful applicant for every 76 candidates. He encouraged unsuccessful applicants not to be discouraged, stressing that many met the required qualifications but could not be accommodated because of the limited vacancies and intense competition. The Comptroller-General said the recruitment reflected the Federal Character principle, with all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory represented. Each state was allocated 105 slots, comprising 35 positions in the Superintendent Cadre, 10 in the Inspectorate Cadre and 60 in the Customs Assistant Cadre, while the FCT received 72 slots under the approved allocation formula. On gender representation, Adeniyi revealed that women accounted for 839 successful candidates, representing 21.8 per cent of the total intake, slightly higher than their 21.2 per cent share of the total applications received. He added that female applicants recorded a marginally higher success rate than their male counterparts, particularly in the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres, reaffirming the Service’s commitment to encouraging greater female participation in future recruitment, especially in operational and enforcement roles. According to him, the exercise also produced a youthful workforce, with a median age of 26 years and nearly three-quarters of the successful candidates below the age of 30. He said the youthful intake would strengthen the Service’s capacity to embrace modern customs administration driven by technology, data analytics and automated risk management. Adeniyi further announced that the Nigeria Customs Service would now conduct recruitment exercises annually instead of waiting several years between recruitment cycles. He disclosed that the 2026 recruitment exercise would commence later this year, expressing confidence that future recruitment would be completed within a single calendar year, from advertisement to the publication of the final list. According to him, the digital systems, screening architecture and verification processes developed during the current exercise would significantly shorten future recruitment timelines. He explained that the annual recruitment policy would enable the Service to plan its workforce more effectively, promptly replace retiring personnel and provide qualified Nigerians with predictable employment opportunities. The Comptroller-General advised successful candidates to rely only on official Nigeria Customs Service communication channels for further instructions, reiterating that recruitment into the Service remains completely free. He urged members of the public to report anyone demanding money in exchange for employment, describing such individuals as fraudsters. Congratulating the successful candidates, Adeniyi reminded them that they earned their positions through a rigorous and highly competitive process and urged them to uphold the professionalism, discipline and integrity expected of officers of the Nigeria Customs Service. He also assured unsuccessful applicants that another opportunity would be available later this year under the newly introduced annual recruitment programme.

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