Lagos Govt., MTN restate support for sports development

Folashade Adeniran
Apr, Wed, 2025

Sports

Lagos Govt., MTN restate support for sports development

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By Stellamaris Ashinze and Lanre Akojede

The Lagos State Government (LASG) and MTN Nigeria on Tuesday restated their commitment to sports development across the country.

They reiterated their commitment at the MTN Champs Season 3.0 news conference in Lagos.

Speaking at the conference, the Director-General, Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Mr Lekan Fatodu, said that sports was a powerful tool in terms of youth empowerment that took the attention of young people from crimes and criminality.

Fatodu said: “I can reassure you that the Lagos State Government will continue to support this kind of initiative and we are solidly behind it now and in the future.

“The state governor is particularly concerned that some of its home-grown talents are being, you know, seduced, let me use that word, by other places,” he said.

He added that the government was on a trajectory similar to the movement of MTN, adding that it was committed to this greater effort towards empowering young people and bringing the best out of future talents.

He said that there was no better way to describe the MTN Champs Season 3.0 event than saying that it was exceptional, inspirational and a motivation for it as a government.

Fatodu said that the state governor was actually very deliberate in ensuring that there was total transformation, not just in athletics, but all sports.

He said that one information he wished to share was the fact that within the next few months, its athletes, the future champions would be running at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

The director-general said that the stadium’s eight-lane track would be ready for use.

According to him, taking a cue from the commercial of the event, the making of champions started from dedication, to preparation, to focus, to endurance, and the last one is support.

“That is where our collective energy is important here. MTN is doing its best in terms of support for these young people.

“We are particularly interested and excited about the region where we see gains of interest, particularly in athletics.

“I am so particularly challenged, because just like swimming, athletics is going in the direction of people saying that it is an elite game which is totally wrong,’’ he said.

According to him, there are a lot of talents, and many of them are ready, what they need is the last message in the commercial – Support.

Fatodu said that the government would be providing the infrastructure and the technical know for the event.

In her welcome address, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Mrs Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, said that the MTN Champs platform had been designed to create opportunities, support young athletes, empower Nigerian children, and build a future where dreams could be realised.

Ikenna-Emeka said that with its focus on sports development, MTN remained committed to supporting the dreams and aspirations of Nigerians through innovative solutions and socially impactful initiatives.

The CMO said that the MTN Champs Season 3 had officially begun in Lagos, marking a significant milestone in the journey to discover and nurture young athletic talents in Nigeria.

She said that the event, now in its third season, had garnered unprecedented support, with over 2,505 student athletes from 155 schools already registered for the Lagos Edition.

According to her, participants from Benin Republic, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire will compete in the senior category, while MTN staff will participate in a special 4×100 event.

“A relay race has also been planned for government officials and our partners.

“The MTN Champs platform, launched in 2023, aims to build future Olympians for Nigeria by providing opportunities for young athletes to showcase their talents.

“Over the past two seasons, the event has witnessed remarkable participation, with over 7,000 athletes from 375 secondary schools in Season One and 8,000 athletes from 500 secondary schools in Season Two.

“This season promises to be the most exciting and the grand finale will be held in Uyo.

“The Lagos edition, which starts on April 9th and runs through April 12th, will be held at the Yabatech and University of Lagos Sports Complexes,’’ she said.

The Founder, Making of Champions (MoC), Mr Bamigbola Akanni, said that Champs, a premier track and field competition, had been making waves in the Nigerian sports scene, with its innovative approach to discovering and nurturing young athletic talents.

Bamigbola, who was represented by Deji Ogeyingbo, Country Manager, Making of Champions (MoC), said that the organisation had been instrumental in shaping the careers of many athletes.

He said it had produced some of Nigeria’s most notable sports personalities, was instrumental in shaping the careers of many athletes, and had provided a platform for young talents to showcase their skills.

According to Bamigbola, MTN champs has been at the forefront of innovation and technology in track and field, with the use of advanced technology to track and record athletes’ performances.

“The event has also introduced the use of the Roster Athletics app, which allows fans to track and view athlete performances in real-time.

“The MTN Champs has had a profound impact on the lives of many young athletes, providing them with opportunities to develop their skills and pursue their dreams.

“The event has also had a positive impact on communities, with many athletes going on to become role models and inspiration to others,’’ he said.

The Senior Editor, MoC, Ms Yemi Galadima, said that MTN Champs had achieved a significant milestone in Lagos, with nearly 3,000 athletes competing in the event.

Galadima said that it marked a substantial increase in registrations, from 1,000 per annotation in 2023 to nearly 3,000 per annotation in the current season.

She said that it had witnessed a remarkable surge in registrations, with 17,000 athletes from 1,000 schools across Nigeria participating in the event.

According to her, Lagos, the 10th leg of the competition, has recorded the highest number of schools registered, with 155 schools participating.

“To accommodate the influx of athletes and schools, the MTN Champs has introduced an innovative approach, using two locations for the event.

“This format, first introduced in Season one has been adopted in two of the three legs of Season 3, including the current Lagos edition,’’ Galadima added. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Christiana Fadare

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