Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has inaugurated 44 chairmen of sports associations in the state, charging them to strengthen grassroots development, identify emerging talents and create sustainable pathways for athletes to achieve national and international success.
Speaking during the inauguration at Lagos House, Ikeja, on Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu described the appointments as a significant step towards repositioning sports administration in the state.
The governor urged the new sports administrators to set clear and measurable objectives for their respective associations, implement succession programmes and establish systems capable of identifying, nurturing and transforming raw talent into elite athletes.
He said Lagos’ reputation as the Centre of Excellence should extend beyond talent discovery to providing the structures, training opportunities and competitive platforms needed to transform talents into champions.
“Lagos’ reputation as a Centre of Excellence must extend beyond talent discovery to establishing the necessary structures, training opportunities, and competitive platforms to transform talents into champions,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor described sports as more than recreation, noting that it could promote discipline, education, employment, entrepreneurship and economic growth.
“Sports is not merely recreation but a pathway to discipline, education, employment, entrepreneurship, and economic growth,” he said.
He noted that major sporting events also create opportunities in hospitality, transportation, entertainment, media, technology, fitness and sports medicine.
Sanwo-Olu called for stronger collaboration between government and the private sector, saying increased private investment would provide a firmer platform for sports and athlete development in Lagos.
He instructed the newly inaugurated chairmen to prioritise transparency, accountability and discipline, while ensuring that their associations maintain active competition calendars.
The governor also urged the associations to create opportunities for women, girls, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented talents.
He said the performance of the new chairmen would be judged by the athletes they develop, institutions they strengthen, records they break and champions they produce.
“Their success will be measured not by the duration of their tenure but by the athletes developed, institutions strengthened, records broken, and champions produced during their tenure,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor pointed to Lagos’ recent performances at national sporting competitions as evidence of what could be achieved when talent is supported by a functional system.
He also highlighted Lagos’ hosting of the National Intermediate Games as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s leadership in sports development and provide a platform for young athletes nationwide.
The Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, said the inauguration demonstrated the administration’s commitment to sports development.
Fatodu stressed that government alone could not develop the state’s sports sector and called for stronger partnerships among government, sports associations, athletes, coaches, corporate organisations, schools and local communities.
“Government alone cannot develop the state’s sports sector,” Fatodu said.
He described the new chairmen as vital links between athletes and their respective sporting communities, with responsibilities covering talent identification, athlete development, competition organisation, technical capacity building and creating pathways for athletes to compete and succeed.
Speaking on behalf of the sports association chairmen, the Chairman of the Lagos State Athletics Association, Dr Solomon Alao, said the new leadership was committed to supporting the government’s vision for sports development.
“We are committed to supporting the government’s vision for sports development,” Alao said.
He said the inauguration had strengthened the chairmen’s confidence in the administration’s commitment to the associations and pledged that the new leadership would strive to deliver credible, progressive and impactful results across their respective sporting associations.
Alao added that the chairmen were motivated by the confidence placed in them and were eager to work towards better outcomes for athletes and the growth of sports in Lagos.
Stay ahead with the latest updates!
Join The Podium Media on WhatsApp for real-time news alerts, breaking stories, and exclusive content delivered straight to your phone. Don’t miss a headline — subscribe now!
Chat with Us on WhatsApp
