Sports
PremiumTrust Bank CEO Urges Runners To Use Abuja Half Marathon As Springboard To Bigger Stage
Joel Ajayi
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PremiumTrust Bank, Dr Emmanuel Emefiele, has urged participants in the PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon to seize the opportunity provided by the competition to prepare themselves for bigger challenges on the international athletics stage.
Emefiele gave the charge on Friday at the World Press Conference ahead of the third edition of the 21.1km race scheduled for Saturday, November 14, in Abuja.
He described the competition as an important platform for discovering and nurturing athletic talents, encouraging runners to see the race beyond the immediate challenge of competing for prizes and recognition.
According to him, the Abuja City Half Marathon offers athletes an opportunity to test their abilities, improve their performances and position themselves for greater opportunities in international road racing.
He reaffirmed PremiumTrust Bank’s commitment to its partnership with Nilayo Sports Management Limited, describing the collaboration as a valuable investment in sports development and the growing profile of Nigeria’s athletics industry.
Emefiele said the bank remained committed to supporting the competition and its ambition to attain greater international recognition, particularly the World Athletics Silver Label status.
He noted that sustained private-sector investment and effective partnerships were essential to raising the standard of sporting competitions and creating opportunities for Nigerian athletes.
The bank’s partnership with Nilayo Sports Management Limited has been instrumental in sustaining the annual competition since its introduction in 2024.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Mrs Yetunde Olopade, expressed delight at hosting the third edition, describing the race as an important sporting event with significant economic and tourism potential for Abuja and Nigeria.
She commended PremiumTrust Bank for its continued support, noting that the institution’s commitment had helped strengthen the competition and advance its ambition of becoming one of Africa’s leading road-running events.
“It is easy to associate with success when everything is already in place. It takes conviction to step forward and help make that success possible,” Olopade said, acknowledging the bank’s contribution to the growth of the marathon.
She explained that the competition was designed to achieve objectives beyond elite athletic performances, including promoting healthy living, attracting international attention, stimulating local businesses and positioning Abuja as a destination for major sporting events.
The World Press Conference, held at Hilton Hotel, Abuja, attracted representatives of World Athletics, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).
Among those present were NOC First Vice President, Chief Solomon Ogba; Emefiele; Olopade; and AFN Technical Director, Yusuf Alli.
The third edition of the race will feature a 21.1km course starting from the Old Parade Ground along Mohammed Buhari Way and finishing at the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
The competition has attracted elite international and Nigerian athletes, with the overall winner scheduled to receive $8,000, while the second and third-place finishers will earn $6,000 and $5,000 respectively.
Separate prize categories have also been provided for leading Nigerian athletes.
Already recognised by World Athletics as a Label Road Race, the Abuja competition is seeking to build on that achievement by attaining Silver Label status, a development expected to further enhance its international profile.
With growing participation, corporate backing and international technical involvement, organisers are optimistic that the competition will continue to provide a platform for emerging athletes to showcase their abilities while opening doors to bigger opportunities in global athletics.
Sports
AFN COO, Dr Nneka Calls For Increased Investment In Grassroots Athletics, Sports Facilities
By Joel Ajayi
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Operating Officer, COO, Dr Nneka Ikem Anibeze has called on state governments and universities across the country to invest in athletics facilities and grassroots competitions to discover and nurture emerging talents.
Anibeze, who expressed delight at Nigeria’s achievement at the just concluded Youth Olympics where Nigeria won 3 Gold medal in athletic in Dakar, Senegal, said sustained investment in infrastructure, coaching and regular competitions would help the country build a strong pool of homegrown athletes capable of representing Nigeria successfully at international competitions.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Youth Olympic Games, she described Nigeria’s performance as encouraging and unprecedented, expressing satisfaction with the progress being recorded by young athletes.
The Senior Assistant Media & Publicity to the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Anibeze particularly commended the National Sports Commission (NSC) for creating opportunities for athletes to participate in international competitions, noting that exposure to major championships was essential for their development.
According to her, taking athletes to competitions, including the youth championships in Oregon, has helped expose young talents to international standards and provided valuable experience for those travelling outside Nigeria for the first time.
Anibeze noted that although some athletes were still developing, their performances demonstrated the benefits of regular international exposure and the need to sustain the momentum.
She said: “I feel very happy that this is happening in our time. It is unprecedented, and I am particularly delighted that we are beginning to see the results of these efforts.
“We must also appreciate the National Sports Commission for making it possible for our athletes to be exposed and given more competitions to participate in.”
The AFN COO stressed the need for Nigeria to look beyond athletes based abroad and deliberately develop the enormous athletic potential within the country.
She maintained that Nigeria had abundant homegrown talents who could compete at the highest level if provided with the right opportunities, facilities and support systems.
Anibeze explained that the federation was working towards securing sponsorship for more competitions, including all-comers meets, grassroots championships and school sports programmes.
Also She stated that plans were underway to organise more intermediate and grassroots competitions in Lagos and other parts of the country, particularly next year, to expand the talent discovery network.
According to her, such competitions would provide opportunities for young athletes to demonstrate their abilities and progress through the national athletics development structure.
She identified inadequate sporting facilities as one of the major challenges confronting athletics development in Nigeria, urging state governors to construct standard running tracks and mini-stadia in their respective states.
“If we have more tracks in our communities, people will not have to wait until they come to Abuja before they can train and compete.
“You can imagine that the girl who just performed was fine-tuned within two or three weeks. If she had access to better facilities and a good coach, the sky would be her limit,” she said.
Anibeze also urged universities to prioritise sports infrastructure, citing the University of Oregon in the United States as an example of how educational institutions could contribute to the development of world-class athletes.
She said Nigerian universities could build athletics tracks to support students with sporting potential, adding that stronger university sports programmes would also improve the country’s representation at the World University Games.
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