As the world commemorates the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), Karim Adeyemi Foundation (KAF) joins the global community in honoring the transformative power of sport to foster peace, resilience, and inclusion.
This year, IDSDP 2025 serves as a moment of deep reflection and renewed commitment. It marks the successful execution of the 3rd edition of KAF’s annual IDSDP Essay Competition, which took place on April 5, 2025, at the University of Ibadan’s Distance Learning Centre, Ajibode-Sasa, Ibadan.
This year’s edition brought together 130+ students from 18 public secondary schools across Ibadan, representing a vibrant cohort of young minds eager to interrogate the link between sports, peace, and sustainable development.
From Global Vision to Local Impact
While IDSDP is a global observance initiated by the United Nations, KAF’s goal is to localize international development goals in ways that resonate with the lived experiences of young people in Oyo State and Nigeria at large.
Participants submitted creative entries—including essays, poems, and drawings—responding to this year’s global theme: “Leveling the Playing Field: Sport for Social Inclusion.” The theme was adapted to reflect local challenges such as unequal access to education, social disparity, and ongoing conflict in certain parts of the country.
In their creative entries—ranging from poems to essays and illustrations—students from schools like Government College Ibadan, St Theresa’s College, and Abadina College, to mention but a few, were encouraged to reflect critically on how sport can foster inclusion, build peace, and inspire social responsibility within their communities.
These schools reflect a broad spectrum of communities, affirming KAF’s focus on inclusion and grassroots engagement.
The first stage of the competition allowed students to express themselves creatively on how sports can drive inclusion and development. The second stage, a Computer-Based Test (CBT) for the top 50 shortlisted participants, featured more practical and reflective essay questions—encouraging students to discuss, with real-life examples, how school sports can foster academic excellence, moral development, community service, and support for the less privileged in Oyo State.
In a nation grappling with educational inequity and societal unrest, KAF’s initiative offers more than just a contest—it is a civic intervention built on the pillars of participation, voice, and inclusion.
Reviving School Sports, One Conversation at a Time
This initiative isn’t just about competition—it’s about catalyzing a cultural revival. School sports in Nigeria, once a vibrant pipeline for talent development and youth discipline, has significantly dwindled in the last decade.
Through our consistent engagement with IDSDP, Karim Adeyemi Foundation aims to revive the culture of school sports, using platforms like this essay competition to spark meaningful conversations among policymakers, educators, parents, and stakeholders about its relevance and potential. We believe these conversations can reignite the level of investment and interest school sports once enjoyed, thereby fostering a healthier, more socially cohesive generation of young Nigerians.
Powering Possibilities Through Sport and Literacy
For many of the participants, this wasn’t just another school program. It was a life-changing experience—especially the CBT stage, which promoted digital literacy alongside critical thinking and problem-solving.
This was the third consecutive year of KAF organizing the IDSDP essay competition. In total, over 350 students from nearly 30 public schools have participated since inception, forming an emerging community of young change agents equipped with knowledge, confidence, and civic responsibility.
Collaboration: A Model for Sustainable Youth Development
The success of this year’s edition would not have been possible without strategic partnerships. Special thanks to Polaris Bank Ltd. for donating branded gift items to all participants—adding to the excitement and elevating the experience for every student.
We also extend immense gratitude to Karim Adeyemi, Founder of KAF, and Abiodun Adeyemi, our President, for their steadfast leadership and belief in using sports and education as tools for transformation. Through their vision, KAF continues to be a leading voice in the Edu-Sport-Dev space in Nigeria.
Why It Matters
In a world where civil unrest claims millions of lives annually, largely due to exclusion, inequality, and fractured social structures, it is imperative that we invest in interventions that nurture unity, dialogue, and understanding.
Sport is one such tool. It provides a universal language that fosters teamwork, empathy, respect for rules, and non-violent conflict resolution—values we desperately need in today’s world.
Through initiatives like this competition, KAF isn’t just facilitating youth engagement—we’re contributing to the foundation of SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).
Looking Forward
As we close another impactful chapter in our IDSDP journey, we’re more committed than ever to scaling our reach. We envision a future where every child—regardless of background—has access to platforms that ignite creativity, nurture civic responsibility, and inspire leadership.
To every participant, partner, school, and supporter—thank you for believing in this mission. With your continued support, we will keep leveling the playing field, one opportunity at a time.
