Sanwo-Olu tasks 44 sports chairmen to develop champions
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has inaugurated 44 chairmen of sports associations in the state, charging them to strengthen grassroots development and build clear pathways for emerging athletes to achieve national and international success.
Sanwo-Olu gave the charge on Tuesday at Lagos House, Ikeja, where he described the appointments as a significant step towards repositioning sports administration in the state.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has inaugurated 44 chairmen of sports associations in the state, charging them to strengthen grassroots development and build clear pathways for emerging athletes to achieve national and international success.
Sanwo-Olu gave the charge on Tuesday at Lagos House, Ikeja, where he described the appointments as a significant step towards repositioning sports administration in the state.
He urged the new administrators to set measurable goals, establish succession programmes and develop systems for identifying, nurturing and turning raw talent into elite athletes.
The governor said Lagos’ reputation as the Centre of Excellence must extend beyond talent discovery to providing the infrastructure, training opportunities and competitive platforms needed to produce champions.
He described sports as more than recreation, saying it could promote discipline, education, employment, entrepreneurship and economic growth.
Sanwo-Olu also called for greater private-sector investment and stronger collaboration between government, sports associations and other stakeholders to create a sustainable environment for athlete development.
He directed the chairmen to prioritise transparency, accountability and discipline while maintaining active competition calendars. He also urged them to create opportunities for women, girls, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented talents.
The governor said their performance would ultimately be measured by the athletes they develop, the institutions they strengthen, the records they break and the champions they produce.
Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, said the inauguration reflected the administration’s commitment to sports development.
Fatodu stressed that government alone could not develop the sector, calling for stronger partnerships among sports associations, athletes, coaches, corporate organisations, schools and local communities.
Speaking on behalf of the chairmen, Chairman of the Lagos State Athletics Association, Dr Solomon Alao, pledged their support for the government’s sports development agenda and promised to work towards credible and impactful results across the associations.
