National Breakdance Championship: FAME Foundation Holds Abuja Qualifiers

FAME Foundation, a non-governmental organization in Abuja, in conjunction with the French embassy in Nigeria, organized a National Break Dance Championship qualifier in Port Harcourt as part of activities under the Play It Dream It Initiative.

It aims to empower the youth through sports under the Play it Dream it Initiative, strengthening the inclusion of young people and vulnerable people through sport, will inspire and teach valuable life skills to young people – particularly those that are consistently underserved, excluded, or economically disadvantaged.

The championship which took place on September 9, 2023, at the Lycée Français Marcel Pagnol d’Abuja recorded a total of 17 break dancers in participation.

The event was attended by the ambassador of the French embassy to Nigeria, Emanuelle Blattman who acknowledged the creativity and skill of Nigerians, she said,

“Knowing the creativity and talent of Nigerians, we cannot be surprised to see the tremendous enthusiasm that today’s competition has aroused, from the first qualifier in Kaduna, through the stages of Kano, Portharcourt, Abuja and soon Lagos. Dozens of young people from all over Nigeria have come to take part in this national competition organized by FAME Foundation hoping to qualify for the grand finale with the dream of representing Nigeria at prestigious competitions.”

She continued by saying,

“Dance makes us dream, it unites, surprises, moves and even heals. It is at the heart of everyone’s life at the heart of Nigerian culture and even in the heart of the economy, linked to the vibrant Nigerian music industry, the market is facing a strong demand for professionals. Dance is also a formidable vector of core values, freedom, fraternity, surpassing oneself but also rigor and excellence”

She additionally expressed her gratitude to FAME Foundation for organizing the event while also keeping the primary value of using sport as a tool for social inclusion, gender equality and youth empowerment

“The activities put together by FAME Foundation inspire and teach valuable life skills to young people, particularly those that are consistently under deserved, excluded or economically disadvantaged. FAME Foundation promotes sport as a vehicle for social inclusion and is a partner with the French Embassy on this project.”

Speaking to the press, Ms. Aderonke Ogunleye Bello, Executive Director of FAME Foundation, applauded the passion and skill she witnessed in the championship, she said,

“Today is the Abuja qualifier for the National Breakdance Competition. We have visited Kano, Kaduna, and Port Harcourt. This is the fourth stage, the FCT. We’ll be in Lagos for the final qualifier in two weeks. There would also be an overall final in November, where we would select two winners to represent Nigeria at an international dance competition in Paris.

The idea behind this qualifier is that breakdance is a new sport in the Olympics for the first time ever next year Paris 2024 breakdance will feature as a sport and that is why we are here to create awareness about the existence of breakdance as a sport and subsequently use sports to empower women and youths.

We have been campaigning against drugs, rape, and other social vices. Breakdance is here to empower and educate the youth. The aim is to spread messages to other youths about thuggery, rape, and other vices while breakdancing.”

After the event, Ms. Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello extends her gratitude to the French Embassy for their invaluable support in making the national break dance championship a reality.

The competition is set to continue in one additional state which is Lagos on September 22, 2023. The grand finale is scheduled for November in Lagos after which, two winners will be chosen to represent Nigeria at an international breakdance championship in France, while runner-ups will receive consolation prize.

The project is financed by the Solidarity Fund for Innovative Projects (FSPI – R) of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. The project aims to provide support to initiatives in areas of democratic governance, culture, the French language, higher education, and research.

Signed:

Inyene Idiong

Communications Officer