The French Embassy in Nigeria has restated its commitment to the partnership with a non-governmental organisation, FAME Foundation, to promote social inclusion and empower the youth through sports under the ‘Play it, Dream it Initiative’.
The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, made the pledge while declaring open Abuja’s qualifiers of the National Breakdance Championship held at the Lycee Francais Marcel Pagnol d’Abuja during the weekend.
She said the French Embassy is extremely excited to support FAME Foundation’s drive to inspire and teach young people valuable life skills under the Play It, Dream It initiative using sports as a vehicle.
The envoy added that with breakdance being chosen to feature at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as a discipline, it is a good idea to promote breakdance in Nigeria where there are so many talents and dance is part of the culture of the peoples.
“Who could have thought a few decades ago that breaking, this popular dance born out of hip-hop culture in the block parties of New York’s Bronx, would one day take pride of place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and that millions of spectators and television viewers would acclaim the break dancers around the world?
“This is indeed the first time breakdance has officially entered as an Olympic discipline, and we are very proud that Paris will be its first arena. Knowing the creativity and talent of Nigerians, we are really excited to support the FAME Foundation for this project, National Breakdance Championship in Nigeria. You can see the tremendous enthusiasm that the competition has brought to the country from the first qualifier in Kaduna, Kano and here today in Abuja and soon Lagos.
“Dozens of young people from all over Nigeria have come to take part in this national breakdance championship, hoping to qualify for the grand finale and with the dream of one day representing Nigeria at international competitions,” Blatmann said.
According to Blatmann, dance unites, heals, and it is at the heart of everyone’s life, and part of the economy.
“Dance is also a formidable vector of core values – freedom, fraternity, surpassing oneself, respect for others, brotherhood, sisterhood and so on.
“These values are also at the heart of the work of FAME Foundation, a formidable Nigerian organisation that promotes sport as a vehicle for social inclusion, and we partner on this project,” she stated.
The Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Arabinrin Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello, said six dancers will be selected to join Qualifiers from other states to compete at the grand finale in Lagos in November 2023.
“We have been to Kano, Kaduna, Port-Harcourt and this is the fourth place, which is the FCT. In two weeks, we will be in Lagos for the final qualifier, and there will be the overall finals where we will choose two overall winners to represent Nigeria at the international breakdance championship in Paris
“For the first time ever, break dance will feature for the first time as a sport next year. So we are here to create awareness and use it as a tool to empower youth. While we are doing this, we are also campaigning against social vices. The project is sponsored by the French embassy in Nigeria,” she said.
