Chairman, Lagos State Sports Trust Fund (LSSTF), Enitan Oshodi, says the fund is expanding its grassroots programmes beyond football to develop talents in other sports.

Mr Oshodi said this during an interview on Tuesday in Lagos.

He spoke on the sidelines of the distribution of sports equipment to the 57 local government areas (LGAs) and local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state.

He said football remained popular because almost everybody could play it, but Lagos’ large youth population required broader investment in sports.

“We have millions of young people in Lagos, and we have been working hard in the Trust Fund,” he said.

Mr Oshodi said the fund began its grassroots programme with public primary schools and was now extending it to the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs.

He noted that the appointment of senior special advisers to local government chairmen on sports would help monitor the distributed equipment and strengthen community engagement.

“We must have organisation, and that is what the Trust Fund is about,” he added.

Mr Oshodi said the fund was also training games masters in schools to ensure the equipment was properly used. 

He said much more needed to be done because of Lagos’ large population.

“We are really proud of what has happened so far, but there is still a lot of work to be done because of the numbers in Lagos,” he noted.

The chairman said sports development should not be restricted to children, adding that adults also needed recreational facilities for weekend activities.

He said infrastructure was crucial to achieving this, noting that the fund was working on the renovation of Rowe Park.

“Once Rowe Park is back on track, I expect in the next couple of weeks that we will see a big influx of young people coming back to Rowe Park,” he said.

Mr Oshodi said coaches and game masters were available to help young people develop their talents and pursue careers in sports.

He said the objective was to create opportunities for young people to develop into the next generation of sports stars.

Mr Oshodi said the LSSTF was also focusing on intellectual sports, including chess and scrabble.

He said Nigeria had performed well internationally in some of the sports but needed sustained grassroots development to maintain its success.

“To do well at an international level, you need a great base and lots of kids coming through from the beginning. That is what we are trying to do,” he said.

On private investment, Mr Oshodi said the government could not fund sports development alone, stressing the need for donors and the private sector to complement its efforts.

“It is not only the government. Government is doing a lot, but you need the donors and private sector to match what the government is doing,” he stated.

He said the board had brought credible people on board who could be trusted to manage funds and support athletes.

Mr Oshodi said athletes competing at the highest international level usually required private-sector support and investment.

“This is what the board can bring. We can bring these people,” he said.

He disclosed that the fund was planning a major fundraising programme before the end of 2026.

“I like to think big numbers. We are looking at a lot of money, but you need a lot of money to get things done,” he said.

Mr Oshodi said Lagos, with an estimated population of about 25 million, required large-scale investment in sports infrastructure.

He stressed that the facilities would serve both children and adults seeking places for recreational activities at weekends.

“That is our hope. That is the hard work we are going to try and put in before the end of this year, and hopefully we start to see the difference very soon,” he said. 

(NAN)