By Daily Sports Nigeria on August 11, 2025

Former Governor of Lagos State and immediate past Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has weighed in on the challenges of Nigerian sports, striking home some solutions for the private and public sectors to adapt for a more viable industry, The PUNCH reports.

Fashola spoke as a guest speaker during the book presentation of veteran sports journalist Mumini Alao’s Autobiography at the Tayo Aderinokun Hall, University of Lagos on Sunday.

In his address titled “Re-thinking the current football business model in Nigeria as a catalyst for sports development”, Fashola referenced Nigeria’s sports history, noting that the framework for success already existed in structures like the National Sports Commission.

“As has been the case with many challenges we have confronted, the solutions are within reach if we are prepared to do the hard work, enforce the rules and delay gratification,” Fashola said.

“We must not look for quick fixes. I subscribe to the idea of a 10-year plan and a decade of commitment to sports development.”

To achieve the master plan, Fashola also advocated the development of a structure that is attractive and sustainable.

“I hear the unspoken question about where the money will come from.

“My answer is that we must develop a plan and programme that is capable of being funded before we start losing sleep about funds. Almost too often, we agonise about funding without developing a workable plan.

“In the recent past in Lagos, we developed a plan that created a sports activity from March to December every year.

“We had all school sports from March to June, and from July to December we had table tennis, squash, swimming, scrabble, the Governor’s Lawn Tennis Cup and the climax was on December 26 at the boxing finals at Rowe Park, which I attended diligently.

“Not only did they produce many talents for state and country, they revived the interest of old sponsors like Chief Rasak Okoya and his Asoju Oba Cup, FCMB, Etisalat, Julius Berger, and many other brands became willing and enthusiastic partners and sponsors.”

Aside from being a former governor and ex-minister, Fashola has been a respected figure for his contributions to sports development in Nigeria.

Recently, the International Table Tennis Federation Africa named the maiden edition of the ITTF Africa Youth Cup after him.

Source Punch Ng

Posted August 11, 2025

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