Femi Pedro-Led Lagos Sports Trust Fund Tasked To Raise N20 Billion For Sports Development

ABDULLAHI NURUDEEN KEHINDE

The Board of Lagos State Sports Trust Fund (LSSTF) has been tasked to increase initial target of N10 billion it planned to raise for infrastructural development of sports in the state.

At the presentation ceremony of sports equipment giving by the Sports Trust Fund to public secondary schools in the six education districts of the state held on Thursday, the Chairman of the Trust Fund, former Deputy Governor, Chief Femi Pedro informed the guests who included the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Gboyega Soyombo who represented Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the occasion, that they had the plan of sourcing for N10 billion to execute series of projects aimed at sports development. The fund is being generated through public-private partnerships.

It was at this point that the representative of the Governor, Soyombo told him that it is better for the Board of Lagos State Sports Trust Fund to aim past the N10 billion, instead he advised that they should be able to source for N20 billion because of the enormous of works to be done.

While commending Femi Pedro and the Board for the intervention and the distribution of the various equipment to the schools, he said the intervention will re-invigorate the school sports in Lagos State, and add to the physical well-being of students in the public secondary schools.

He added that the Governor had raised the Trust Fund target from N10bn to N20bn to be sourced from the private sector and spirited individuals in Lagos State for the provision of sports infrastructures for the benefit of Lagosians.

According to him, “The distribution of sports equipment to the public secondary schools via the six educational districts in Lagos State today is a testament to the great work being done by the LSSTF.”

“Besides this equipment being distributed, LSSTF is currently reconstructing an Olympic size swimming pool, warm-up pool, training pool and a 500-seater spectator stand at Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba. These projects will soon be delivered and it is expected that the number of medals in swimming for the state will triple in future swimming competitive events.”

The sports equipment purchased from funds raised by the Lagos State Sports Trust Fund, an agency created by Law in 2018 by the Lagos State Government, on the advice of the Lagos State Sports Commission, were handed over to the Tutor-General/Permanent Secretaries of the six Education Districts at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja.

This gesture was made possible because of the vision of the Lagos State Sports Commission to bring back sports into school curriculum. It is also as a result of the influence of the Executive Chairman and Director General of the Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepeku and Oluwatoyin Gafaar respectively, who are on the Board of the Lagos State Sports Trust Fund; the first time, that made such an initiative to see the light of the day.

Presentation and handing over of the various sports equipment to the Tutor-General / Permanent Secretaries of the six Educational Districts were done by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Chairman, Lagos State Sports Trust Fund, Olufemi Pedro, Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepeku, Director General Lagos State Sports Commission, Oluwatoyin Gafaar, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, Board Member, Lagos State Sports Trust Fund amongst others.