Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has inaugurated 44 chairmen of sports associations in the state, charging them to strengthen grassroots sports development, identify emerging talents and create sustainable pathways for athletes to achieve national and international success.
Sanwo-Olu gave the charge during the official inauguration of the new sports association chairmen at Lagos House, Ikeja, describing their appointment as an important step towards repositioning sports administration and development in the state.
The governor urged the newly inaugurated sports administrators to set clear and measurable goals for their respective associations and introduce succession programmes that would ensure continuity in leadership and development.
He also tasked them with establishing effective systems for identifying, nurturing and developing young athletes, stressing that talent discovery must be followed by proper training, competition and mentorship.
According to Sanwo-Olu, Lagos’ reputation as the “Centre of Excellence” should go beyond discovering talented athletes to providing the structures, facilities, training opportunities and competitive platforms required to transform promising talents into champions.
He said the new chairmen should focus on building systems capable of producing athletes who can compete successfully at national, continental and international levels.
Sanwo-Olu said sports should not be viewed merely as recreation, noting that the sector could contribute significantly to discipline, education, employment, entrepreneurship and economic development.
He highlighted the wider economic opportunities created by major sporting events, including growth in hospitality, transportation, entertainment, media, technology, fitness and sports medicine.
The governor therefore called for stronger cooperation between government and the private sector, saying increased private-sector investment would create a stronger foundation for sports development and improve opportunities for athletes in Lagos.
The governor also instructed the chairmen to operate their associations with transparency, accountability and discipline.
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He urged them to maintain active competition calendars and deliberately create opportunities for women, girls, persons with disabilities and other groups that remain underrepresented in sports.
Sanwo-Olu said the performance of the new chairmen would not be judged by how long they remain in office but by the athletes they develop, institutions they strengthen, records they help break and champions they produce.
He urged the administrators to ensure that young athletes have a continuous development pathway beginning from schools and grassroots programmes through training centres and competitions to national, continental and global stages.
The governor pointed to Lagos’ recent performances at national sporting competitions as evidence of what could be achieved when talented athletes receive the right support and operate within a functional system.
He also highlighted the state’s hosting of the National Intermediate Games as part of efforts to strengthen Lagos’ position as a leading sports hub and provide young athletes from across the country with opportunities to compete and develop.
According to him, strengthening the sporting pipeline would help ensure that talented young people are identified early and given the support required to progress through the different levels of competition.
The Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, said the inauguration demonstrated the administration’s commitment to developing the state’s sports sector.
Fatodu stressed that government alone could not drive the development of sports, calling for stronger partnerships among government agencies, sports associations, athletes, coaches, corporate organizations, schools and local communities.
He described the new chairmen as important links between athletes and their respective sporting communities, with responsibilities ranging from talent identification and athlete development to organizing competitions and strengthening technical capacity.
He added that the chairmen would also play a critical role in creating opportunities and pathways for athletes to compete and succeed at different levels.
Fatodu disclosed that the state deliberately selected accomplished men and women across various sporting disciplines to provide leadership, mentorship and opportunities for emerging athletes.
He said their experience and knowledge would help strengthen the administration of individual sports associations while providing young athletes with better support and guidance.
The appointments, he noted, were intended to complement the government’s broader efforts to create a more organized and sustainable sports development system in Lagos.
Speaking on behalf of the newly inaugurated chairmen, the Chairman of the Lagos State Athletics Association, Dr Solomon Alao, expressed their commitment to supporting the government’s vision for sports development.
Alao said the opportunity to engage directly with Sanwo-Olu had dispelled doubts about the administration’s commitment to the sports associations, describing the inauguration as a renewed source of motivation for the new leadership.
He assured the state government that the chairmen would work towards delivering credible, progressive and impactful results across their respective associations.
Alao added that the confidence placed in the new leadership had strengthened their resolve to improve outcomes for athletes and contribute to the overall growth of sports in Lagos State.
News Express
