Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has charged the 44 newly inaugurated chairmen of sports associations in the state to create a system that will outlive their tenure and produce athletes capable of competing successfully at national and international levels.
Sanwo-Olu gave the charge on Tuesday, during the official inauguration of the newly appointed sports association chairmen in Ikeja, where he urged them to see their appointments as an opportunity to leave lasting legacies in their respective sporting disciplines.
The Governor said the new administrators had been entrusted with responsibilities beyond the routine management of sports associations, stressing the need for them to strengthen grassroots development, discover emerging talents and build sustainable pathways for athletes to attain excellence.
“Your responsibility is not simply to occupy an office or administer a sporting association. You have been entrusted with the responsibility of building institutions, developing athletes and creating a system that will outlive your tenure,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He urged the chairmen to set clear and measurable targets for their respective associations, develop succession programmes and establish systems capable of identifying, nurturing and transforming raw talents into elite athletes.
According to him, Lagos’ reputation as a Centre of Excellence must go beyond discovering talents to creating the structures, training opportunities and competitive platforms required to turn promising athletes into champions.
Sanwo-Olu described sports as more than a recreational activity, noting that it could serve as a pathway to discipline, education, employment, entrepreneurship and economic development.
He said major sporting events also created economic opportunities across sectors, including hospitality, transportation, entertainment, media, technology, fitness and sports medicine.
The governor consequently called for stronger collaboration between government and the private sector, saying increased private investment would provide a stronger platform for sports development and improve opportunities available to athletes.
He also tasked the new administrators to prioritise transparency, accountability and discipline while ensuring that their associations maintained active competition calendars.
Sanwo-Olu urged them to provide opportunities for women, girls, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented talents, stressing that sports development must be inclusive.
He said the success of the chairmen would not be measured by the length of their tenure, but by the athletes developed, institutions strengthened, records broken and champions produced during their time in office.
The governor further referenced Lagos’ performance at recent national sporting competitions as evidence of what could be achieved when talent was supported by a functional system.
He stressed the need to create a continuous pathway from schools to training grounds, competitions and ultimately national, continental and global stages.
Sanwo-Olu also highlighted the state’s hosting of the National Intermediate Games as part of efforts to strengthen Lagos’ leadership in sports development and provide a platform for young athletes from across the country.
He charged the chairmen to return with concrete plans and demonstrate measurable improvements in their respective sports, stressing that the administration would be interested in results rather than maintaining the status quo.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, said the inauguration demonstrated the importance attached to sports development by the Sanwo-Olu administration.
Fatodu said the government alone could not develop the state’s sports sector, stressing the need for stronger partnerships among government, sports associations, athletes, coaches, corporate organisations, schools and local communities.
He described the newly appointed chairmen as critical links between athletes and their respective sporting communities, noting that their responsibilities included talent identification, athlete development, competition organisation, technical capacity building and creating pathways for athletes to compete and succeed.
The Director-General said the state had deliberately selected accomplished men and women across different sporting disciplines to provide leadership, mentorship and opportunities for young athletes.
He added that the appointees were expected to serve not only as sports administrators but also as role models whose experience and networks could contribute to developing young people into better citizens.
Fatodu expressed confidence that the collaboration between the government and the newly inaugurated sports association leadership would further consolidate Lagos’ position as a leading sports hub in Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of the newly inaugurated chairmen, Alao assured the government that the new leadership would put its best foot forward to deliver credible, progressive and impactful results across their respective sporting associations.
Source: Sports Archives – New Telegraph
