Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, on Wednesday, 18 February, tasked the newly inaugurated board of the Lagos State Sports Trust Fund (LSSTF) to channel resources toward the growth and development of grassroots and school sports, as well as other sporting activities across the state’s divisions.
Credit: LSSTF
The LSSTF board is chaired by former Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development and current President of ITTF Africa, Enitan Oshodi, with Olaposi Agunbiade serving as Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer.
Other members include Olabode Agoro, Adeniyi Adekoya, Gbolahan Onibuje, Jubril Gawat, Kikelomo Bolarinwa, Olayemi Sarumi, Lekan Fatodu, Moshood Ajide, and Engr. Ibrahim Adigun, Chairman of the Chairmen of Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas (LGs/LCDAs).
Speaking during the inauguration at Lagos House, Marina, Governor Sanwo-Olu urged members of the board to leverage their contacts, skills and professional backgrounds to build a sustainable sports institution for the state.
“The mandate is straightforward — to support funding in sports and establish strong institutions for today and future generations. I implore you to deploy resources into grassroots and school sports, and to enhance facilities across our divisions. This quasi-body can also reach out to the private sector, drawing on government experience to attract wider support,” he said.
Credit: LSSTF
In his remarks, Mr Oshodi emphasised the board’s focus on creating viable pathways for raising funds to strengthen sports infrastructure and overall development in Lagos.
“The Lagos State Government is spending a lot on sports, but in a megacity of over 20 million people, it is never enough. We need facilities to support athletes, and the private sector’s involvement is crucial. With the capacity of this board, we are confident of securing that support. Our short-term goal is success, but our long-term vision is sustainable sports development in Lagos,” he noted.
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The governor’s charge comes amid renewed efforts by the state government to deepen private sector participation in sports funding and reposition Lagos as a hub for elite and grassroots sports development.