Sports
NSC DG Olopade Awarded Southwest Sports Icon of the Year at 2025 Synergy Meritorious Award
Joel Ajayi
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has been honoured with the prestigious Southwest Sports Icon of the Year Award at the 2025 edition of the Synergy Meritorious Awards.
The award recognizes Hon. Olopade’s outstanding and long-standing contributions to sports development across the Southwest region and Nigeria as a whole.
A tireless visionary, Hon. Olopade’s journey in sports leadership drew national applause as the Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Ogun State in 2006, a role he held with distinction for eight years. During his tenure, he introduced several groundbreaking initiatives that elevated youth and sports development across Ogun state and the Southwest region, setting the foundation for what has become a model of innovation in grassroots sports governance.
Beyond the public sector, Hon. Olopade continued his impact in the private sports industry, championing initiatives that bridged public-private partnerships and strengthened sports business ecosystems across Nigeria.
His efforts helped transform sports into a platform for empowerment, unity, and economic growth.
Today, as the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Olopade, working closely with the NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, is leading a bold national drive to revitalize and professionalize the Nigerian sports industry. Under his leadership, the NSC has launched key reform initiatives aimed at repositioning sports as a major contributor to national development and economic diversification.
In his remarks, Hon. Olopade expressed deep appreciation to the organizers for the recognition, dedicating the honor to all stakeholders working to advance sports across Nigeria.
“This award is not just about me. It’s about every young athlete, coach, administrator, and supporter who believes in the power of sports to transform lives and build nations. I am deeply grateful for this recognition and remain committed to ensuring that Nigerian sports achieves its full potential,” he said.
Sports
PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon Earns World Athletics Label
Nigeria’s foremost Sports Company, Nilayo Sports Management Limited (NSML) has announced the second edition of the PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon, set to light up Nigeria’s capital city on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
With the theme “Steady Strides,” this year’s race captures the measured rhythm and determined pace that define world-class long-distance running, a reflection of the steady progress and ambitious vision shaping the marathon’s evolution into a global platinum-labelled event.
In a historic milestone for Nigerian sports, the PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon has been officially awarded the prestigious World Athletics Label for its second edition, a distinction achieved in record time. This remarkable feat makes it the first marathon globally to earn the label so swiftly, underscoring both the organizational excellence of NSML and the dynamic rise of PremiumTrust Bank, currently celebrated as Nigeria’s fastest-growing commercial bank.
The 2025 edition is expected to attract elite international athletes, top local runners, and marathon enthusiasts from around the world, alongside officials from World Athletics who will oversee the competition.
Speaking on the announcement, Managing Director of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Yetunde Olopade, expressed excitement about the unique partnership with PremiumTrust Bank.
“This second edition is fundamentally unique because it represents the first-ever true super-partnership on such a dynamic sports property in our nation and arguably, globally. PremiumTrust Bank is not just a sponsor but the sole partner anchoring the establishment, organization, and consolidation of a global marathon in Nigeria’s capital city.
” We are proud and grateful for the bank’s visionary leadership, which not only recognized the immense potential of the first edition but is now single-handedly driving the race toward international acclaim.”
Managing Director of PremiumTrust Bank, Dr. Emmanuel Efe Emefienim (CON) emphasized the shared values underpinning the partnership.
“PremiumTrust Bank is built on the philosophy of rapid, impactful, and sustainable growth, and the theme of this year’s marathon perfectly reflects our operational ethos.”
“Attaining World Athletics Label status in just the second year validates that our investment is yielding world-class outcomes. We are deeply proud to be the sole partner building this monumental legacy, reinforcing our commitment to sports development, community wellbeing, excellence, and platforms where champions are made.”
The PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon 2025 promises to be a spectacular celebration of endurance, athleticism, and community spirit, further strengthening Abuja’s status on the global racing calendar.
Registration for participants is currently open as it promises to be another marathon spectacle on the 6th of December 2025.
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