Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has inaugurated 44 chairmen of sports associations across the state, charging them to strengthen grassroots development and create clear pathways for young athletes to reach national and international levels.

Sanwo-Olu gave the charge on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, during the inauguration ceremony at Lagos House, Ikeja, where he described the new leadership structure as a significant step towards repositioning sports administration in the state.

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The governor urged the newly inaugurated Lagos sports chairmen to establish clear and measurable objectives for their associations while developing succession plans capable of producing a sustainable pipeline of athletes.

He said Lagos must move beyond merely discovering sporting talent to creating the structures, training opportunities and competitive platforms required to turn promising athletes 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 stressed that sports should not be treated merely as recreation, pointing to its wider potential to 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.

According to Sanwo-Olu, major sporting events can also stimulate activity across several sectors, including hospitality, transportation, entertainment, media, technology, fitness and sports medicine.

He therefore called for stronger collaboration between government and the private sector, arguing that increased private investment would provide a more sustainable foundation for athlete development and the growth of sports associations.

The governor also directed the new chairmen to uphold transparency, accountability and discipline while ensuring that their respective associations maintain active and credible competition calendars.

He specifically urged them to expand opportunities for women, girls, persons with disabilities and other groups that remain underrepresented in sporting activities.

Sanwo-Olu said the success of the new sports administrators would ultimately be determined by their impact on athletes and sporting institutions rather than the length of their tenure.

“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,” he said.

The governor pointed to Lagos’ recent performances at national sporting competitions as evidence of what could be achieved when talented athletes are supported by functional systems and sustained development programmes.

He also highlighted the state’s hosting of the National Intermediate Games, describing it as part of efforts to reinforce Lagos’ position in sports development while providing young athletes from across Nigeria with opportunities to compete and gain exposure.

The Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, said the inauguration reflected the state government’s commitment to strengthening sports administration and development.

Fatodu, however, noted that government could not develop the sector alone and called for stronger partnerships among sports associations, athletes, coaches, schools, corporate organisations and local communities.

“Government alone cannot develop the state’s sports sector,” Fatodu said.

He described the new chairmen as critical links between athletes and their sporting communities, with responsibilities ranging from talent identification and athlete development to competition organisation, technical capacity building and creating opportunities for athletes to compete successfully.

Speaking on behalf of the newly inaugurated chairmen, the Chairman of the Lagos State Athletics Association, Dr Solomon Alao, pledged their support for the Sanwo-Olu administration’s sports development agenda.

“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 government’s commitment to the various sporting associations and pledged that the new leadership would pursue credible, progressive and impactful results.

Alao added that the chairmen were motivated by the confidence placed in them and were prepared to work towards better outcomes for athletes and sustained growth across Lagos’ sports sector.

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The inauguration marks a renewed push by the state government to place grassroots development at the centre of its sports strategy, with the new association leaders expected to convert emerging talent into a stronger pool of athletes capable of representing Lagos and Nigeria at major competitions.