Following the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta titled OgunGateway 2024 which was adjudged the best in the history of Nigeria, the National Sports Commission leadership has once again expressed its optimism and financial capacity to host another epoch making event called Conference of African Athletes (CAA) U20/U18 African Junior Championship in Abeokuta, come July 16 to 20, 2025.
Speaking during a World Press Conference at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Media Center in Abuja, the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade who is also the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) said, when the Chairman of the National Sports Commission Mallam Shehu Dikko appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he was clear on his intention.
“To empower young people through sports; creating sports economy within sports, and also creating wealth for young men and women through small scale businesses and to harness and develop young talents”, he stated.
He said the forthcoming championship in Abeokuta is a one of the interventions of Mallam Shehu Dikko when he traveled to Algeria, where he solicited that Nigeria has the capacity to host the championship.
The DG told the media men that the sponsorship of the junior athletic championship is a public service/private sector partnership.
“The public service are standing up to be counted and the private sector are also standing to be counted. We cannot give you the figures, but we will do the final accounting and it will be left for Mallam Shehu Dikko to approve the final figure.
“Some corporate bodies trust us and are ready to support us”, he stressed.
So far, Hon. Bukola said the Conference of African Athletes (CAA), has contributed $300USSD to the event. He mentioned other corporate institutions such as the MTN, the Bank of Industries, etc. who also indicated their willingness for sponsorship too.
He mentioned emphatically that “we have enough money to host this championship.”
He emphasized that for this coming championship, “we have a strategy which is for capacity building, to discover young talents and develop them for both local and international championship.”
Talking to the leader of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), the DG said, “Your mandate is simple: produce new athletes that can compete with established athletes because I am sure, that is what the whole country wants to see.
“Let AFN go and churn out new talents that will become world beaters in readiness for Commonwealth wold games at Los Angeles, in November 2028”, he added.
He charged them also to ensure that they create a system where money can be in the pockets of, not just the athletes alone but other stakeholders as well.
He mentioned that the total numbers of the contingents so far will participate in the championship are 583 from thirty countries. According to CAA, about 50 countries are expected to participate in the games but only 34 countries have shown entries.
On OfiliGate, the DG said the news about Ofili defection to Turkey is still an allegation.
“There is no official communication from Ofili or from AFN.I personally love her, and I am speaking the mind of Mallam Dikko. She is our daughter and want her to continue to represent Nigeria.
The DG finally charged the journalists to ensure they always promote Nigeria well in their reportage.
According to Gabriel Okon, that it was in a championship the likes of Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume where captured and now they are world breakers.
“I encourage everybody to come out and encourage these young athletes. It is not a do or die affairs; we are trying to encourage them to compete, to come up and to pick them and nurture”, he emphasized.
Okon assured that his team is ready.
Signed
Dr. (Mrs) Kehinde Ajayi,
FCAI, ANIPR,
Director (Information and PR)
26th June, 2025.
