Sports
NSC Throws its weight behind Lagos Liga’s mission to revolutionize grassroots football.”
Joel Ajayi
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has pledged full institutional support for Lagos Liga, an innovative private football league redefining grassroots and community football in Nigeria.
This commitment was made by the Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, during a courtesy visit by Lagos Liga founder, Joshua J. Omojuwa, to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
The meeting focused on the vision and seven-point agenda of Lagos Liga, a bold initiative designed to merge sports, youth empowerment, and the creative economy into a single thriving ecosystem.
Hon. Olopade commended the Lagos Liga vision as being fully aligned with the mandate given to the Commission by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The mandate that Mr. President gave the NSC, is to create an environment and structure that puts money into the pockets of Nigerians,” Hon. Olopade said.
“Grassroots initiatives like the Lagos Liga are at the heart of the President’s thinking when he appointed Mallam Shehu Dikko and I. You might not even realise the full meaning of what you are building yet, but I see your vision clearly. It aligns perfectly with ours, and that’s why we will throw our weight behind you. Not only are you creating decent employment for our teeming youths, you are also reimagining the future of sports as a viable business.”
Hon. Olopade assured that the NSC would work closely with Lagos Liga to deepen grassroots participation, attract commercial investment, and ensure the initiative evolves into a sustainable national model for sports innovation.
In his response, Omojuwa praised the transformative leadership of the NSC under the leadership of chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko and D.G, Hon. Bukola Olopade, noting the renewed private-sector confidence in Nigeria’s sports economy.
“The chairman and Director General, have been in office for barely a year, but we have seen their convening power at work, especially with the private sector’s renewed interest in funding and supporting sports,” Omojuwa said.
“People aren’t paying attention, but they should. The National Sports Commission, through Mallam Shehu Dikko, and Hon. Bukola Olopade , have gotten governors on board to advance the development of sports infrastructure. This is exciting for us at Lagos Liga because infrastructure is at the root of sports development.”
“This visit is an opportunity to acknowledge some of the progress we are seeing at play and to advance a partnership with the Commission. What we are building at Lagos Liga will be better served with the support of the Commission.”
Launched by Metamo Sports, Lagos Liga is one of Africa’s most ambitious private 7-a-side football projects, with a ₦100 million prize pool, entertainment-driven fan engagement, and a mission to commercialize grassroots talent.
Analysts describe the emerging partnership between Lagos Liga and the NSC as a new model for public-private synergy driving Nigeria’s sports economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda, with a focus on job creation, innovation, and youth inclusion.
Sports
Montage Community Football Tourney Registration Ends October 30
Cyril Ogar
Registration for the 2026 edition of the Montage Community Football Tournament will close on Friday, October 30, organisers have announced.
The tournament coordinator, Mr Raphael Ekpang, disclosed this on Thursday, urging interested teams across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to take advantage of the remaining days to register.
Ekpang said registration had been ongoing since Monday, encouraging eligible teams to complete the process before the deadline.
The tournament, themed “Montage FM 99.7: Empowering Youth, Uniting Communities Through Football,” is scheduled to kick off on November 3, 2026, with playoffs across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
The grand finale will hold on December 5, 2026, at the Old Parade Ground, Garki Area 10, Abuja, where the top four teams will compete for first-, second- and third-place honours.
A total of 48 teams will participate in the competition, with eight teams representing each of the six Area Councils.
The participating teams will compete for cash prizes worth over ₦2 million and other valuable rewards.
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