Sports
Nilayo Sports Management company announces Valuejet as official Aviation partner for 10th Anniversary of Access Bank Lagos City Marathon
Joel Ajayi
Organisers of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, Nilayo Sports management Company Limited, have announced Valuejet as its official Airline partner for the 10th Anniversary of the Race.
Valuejet which is one of Nigeria’s fastest growing indigenous Airlines has joined a long list of partners who are making sure the Lagos City Marathon maintains its status as Africa’s biggest road race.
As organisers of the race expect to welcome over 4000 international Athletes and over 400 Elite Athletes from all over the World, Valuejet is expected to bring its cutting edge aviation experience to bear.
Chief Executive Officer of Nilayo Sports management Company Limited, Mrs Yetunde Olopade, said the partnership with Valuejet is a massive achievement for the race and it only shows how increasingly confident Corporate Nigeria is having in the Lagos City marathon.
” We all know that Valuejet has been one of the biggest supporters of Nigerian Sports for some years now with all they have been doing with football and other sports so we are very excited to have them on board because we share a similar vision of elevating the standard of Nigerian Sports”.
” We are extremely proud and elated at Nilayo with this latest announcement of Valuejet as our Aviation partner. You know the Access bank Lagos city marathon has now become not only a household name in the calendar of Sports in Nigeria but on the continent and the World as a whole.
” This is the level of feasibility and stature the race has risen to, over the last ten years, and to have Valuejet now on board is a testament to the hard work of the last couple of years”.
Valuejet have now joined a growing list of partners that include the Lagos state Government, Access bank, 7up, Airtel , Kia motors, Casio , Premier Cool , Robb and Brila FM.
The Access bank Lagos City Marathon is a Gold labelled race and its 10th Anniversary slated for the 15th of February 2025, is expected to bring together the biggest names in world athletics from Sports administrators to runners.
Sports
FCT FA Board Member Urges Grassroots Reform, Hopeful For Super Eagles World Cup Qualification
Legal Practitioner And Administrator Barr Bucknor Threatens To Petition FCT Minister Over Abandoned Stadiums
Despite Nigeria’s precarious position in the race for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Barrister Babatunde Burknor, a board member of the FCT Football Association (FA), remains hopeful that the Super Eagles can still secure qualification.
Nigeria currently sits third in their qualification group with 11 points from 8 matches, trailing Benin Republic and South Africa, who both lead with 14 points. Yet Burknor, a seasoned football administrator and grassroots sports advocate, believes all is not lost.
In a recent interview made available to BSN Sports, Burknor said: “Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup may appear almost impossible, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach. The situation is tough, yes, but looking at the quality of players in our squad, I still believe we can make it.”
He added that unexpected results from other group rivals could work in Nigeria’s favour.
“Football is unpredictable. There is still a chance that South Africa, Benin Republic, or Rwanda could drop points. If we win our remaining two games, we still stand a chance. Sometimes football reflects life where the strong may fall while the seemingly weak stand tall.”
Calls for Grassroots Reform in the FCT
Beyond national team concerns, Burknor also used the opportunity to address the state of sports development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to take concrete action to revamp local infrastructure.
“We have deep-rooted problems when it comes to grassroots sports. The major issue is a lack of funding and commitment from those charged with driving development at that level,” he said.
Burknor lamented the disappearance of once-thriving youth competitions like the Chairman’s Cup, Principal’s Cup, and Shell Cup, stating that such events played a crucial role in identifying and nurturing young talent.
“It’s disheartening that these programs are no longer active. Development is impossible without facilities, yet we lack even basic training grounds.”
The legal luminary revealed that he personally upgraded the sports facility at a government secondary school in his area to serve as a makeshift training centre, due to the absence of a functioning local stadium.
He is currently drafting a petition to Minister Wike, over abandoned stadiums in FCT, urging a comprehensive audit of officials responsible for sports development across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
Progress in Gwagwalada Football Development
As Vice Chairman of the Gwagwalada Football Council, Burknor highlighted the success of the Gwagwalada Football League, which has become a model for other Area Councils.
“In just two years, we’ve turned the Gwagwalada Football League into a success story. Several players from the league have already secured contracts in Europe. This shows what can be achieved with vision and consistency.”
Barrister Burknor, emphasized that grassroots football holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term football success and must be taken seriously.
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