IKORODU SPORTS SUMMIT: STAKEHOLDERS AGREE ON REVIVING SPORTS IN IKORODU DIVISION. | Shakiru Seidu. "It's designed to provide useful contents to develop sports in Ikorodu Division," Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba reveals.

In pursuance of its commitment to cause a major shift in marketing the Sports and creative potential inherent in Ikorodu Division, the Strike Team for Akinwunmi Ambode and Change Alliance Leadership Group, under the leadership of Hon Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba, held a Sports summit to enrich the masterplan being prepared for the Sports industry in Lagos State.

The summit with the theme: “To make Ikorodu Division a Sports hub of Lagos State” was held on Wednesday, April 12, 2018 at Ikorodu town hall, Ikorodu.

The Convener and also Vice Chairman, Ikorodu local Government, Hon Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba, declared that the summit is designed to provide useful content for the sports roadmap that is poised to transform the vision of the State in becoming one of the foremost sport destinations in Africa.

The hardworking Folashade stated further that the summit aligns with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s desire to invest in human capital and infrastructure in order to encourage creativity and promotion of great minds in sports in the State.

Answering questions from Shakiru Seidu of MegaXpression Magazine on the relevance of the event, Princess Folashade revealed that the summit is crucial to intimate key players in the Sporting activities of Ikorodu Division, as well as engage them in determining the follow-up strategy to develop a master plan for the Division.

In her words, “This Summit will list out in specific terms the interventions that are needed in producing a masterplan that will assist in shaping the sports sector in Ikorodu Division and Lagos State at large in the next 15 to 20 years”.

She added that the commitment of the Lagos State Government to sports promotion had been a deliberate plan derived from a visionary study of the population trend and analysis of what sector would better absorb the teeming youth population, reduce poverty and crime as well as create jobs with multiplier effects in Lagos State.

Affirming the significance of the Summit, the dogged Folashade stated that encouraging existing practitioners and stakeholders with institutional support and sustaining hope of investors in the sector would require a more strategic and proactive approach, hence the need to invite all critical stakeholders under one roof to deliberate on the common goal of raising the bar of Sports promotion in Ikorodu Division.

“The idea of this Ikorodu Summit, therefore, is to allow all stakeholders contribute to the ongoing Sports masterplan of Lagos State Government”, Princess Folashade emphasised.

The summit was later enriched with communique by renowned stakeholders in the sports business after thorough deliberations. The communique says:
'There is need for stadium to encourage sports development in Ikorodu.
There is a need to upgrade the existing sports facilities across the Division.
Privileged individuals need to invest in sports.
There is a need to hesitate sports hall of fame to honour past sports heroes and heroines to encourage youths doing sports.
Agreed that sporting activities is useful in the areas of combating crime and other social vices.
Ikorodu should focus on sports where it has advantage i.e swimming, table tennis, hockey, athletics, volleyball etc.
There is need to go back to school sports.
There is need for training and retraining of sports officers in schools.
There is need for the councils in Ikorodu to support school sports, IDFA etc.
Local govt must also endeavour to work closely with the representative of the Ikorodu Division on the Sports Commission.

Among those that participated were HRM Oba Kabir Shotobi, Ayangburen of Ikorodu, who was ably represented by some of his Chiefs, Chief Alliu Kayode, Regent of Inede, Chief Olorunfunmi Basorun, represented by Hon Gbenga Oshin, Mr Kayode Tijani, Mr Olukunga, Prince Jimoh Ogunmuyiwa, Comr. Olusesan Daini, ably represented by Mr Adewale Bolowotan, Mr Akinloye Bashir, Comr. Lukman Shonibare, among others.

SHAKIRU SEIDU
Editor-in-Chief, MegaXpression Magazine.
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