Sports

Otunba Runsewe promises to develop Golf at the grassroots

Published

5 years ago

October 5, 2021

Dare Kuti

The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Olusegun Runsewe emerged as the new President of Nigeria Golf Federation, has promised to promote the sport’s grassroots development.

Air Cmdr Davis Solomon with 10 votes defeated Suleiman Bello from the North-East zone who garnered only one vote to emerge as Vice-President.

Otunba Runsewe said he would concentrate on the grassroots development of golf in the country, as well as introduce some new innovations into the game.

“We are going to develop a youth programme that will capture the Nigerian golfer from the grassroots because golf is about the only game in which if you don’t start early you can never connect well.

“I am also going to continue from where my predecessor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, stopped. I intend to introduce some new innovations into the golfing arena.

“Today, golf has gone beyond just playing it manually. It is now IT-based. So, I will be bringing a lot of experts from the PGA to come and open more doors for us.

“I can also tell you that there is over six billion dollars in the offing for golfers in the world which the country has not been able to take advantage of.

“So, my plan is to set up a platform where Nigeria can access a major chunk,” he said.

Runsewe also thanked the media for its support for the development of golf, adding that he had also done a lot to promote the game in the country.

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Sports

Tinubu, Fashola, Governors, UNESCO, Sports Leaders to Headline National Grassroots Sports Summit

Published

20 hours ago

October 29, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The stage is being set for a landmark gathering at the Presidential Villa as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, and leading figures from government, sports administration and international development feature in the proposed opening-day programme of the National Grassroots Sports Development Summit 2026.

In a statement signed by Thursday by the Chairperson Media Sub-com National Grassroot Sports Summit Dr. (Mrs.) Kehinde Ajayi stated that, the two-day Summit, scheduled for November 18–19, 2026, at the Banquet Hall, State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja, is being organized by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye.

With the theme “Creating a New Pathway for Sustainable Grassroots Sports Development,” the gathering seeks to produce practical solutions to Nigeria’s longstanding challenges in talent discovery, infrastructure, funding, coaching and athlete development.

The opening day, Wednesday, November 18, promises high-level engagement, with President Tinubu listed as Special Guest of Honour, while Fashola is scheduled to deliver a keynote address.

Also featuring in the Day One programme is Dr. Tayo Aduloju, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), whose organization has been engaged as technical partner to help translate discussions into a workable development roadmap.

Other personalities and institutions on the opening-day lineup include the Chairman and Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko and Hon. Bukola Olopade; the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum; the President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON); and the Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Nigeria.

Also listed are Barrister Enitan Oshodi, President of the African Table Tennis Federation; the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee; and Dr. Musa Nakorji of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Research Department.

The involvement of these personalities reflects the Summit’s emphasis on connecting sports development with economic planning, education, grassroots governance, international cooperation and private-sector investment.

Adeboye described the gathering as an opportunity to move Nigerian sports beyond isolated achievements towards a coordinated national development system.

“The real question is not whether Nigeria has sporting talent.
We know we have talent in abundance. The question is how we build a system that discovers, nurtures and supports that talent consistently, from our communities and schools to the international stage,” he said.

He stressed that the participation of state governments, local councils, development institutions and sports administrators would be critical to producing lasting outcomes.

The Summit will continue on Thursday, November 19, with further stakeholder engagements aimed at developing actionable recommendations for sustainable grassroots sports development with preparations intensifying, organizers are confident that the gathering will provide a defining platform for strengthening the foundation of Nigerian sports and expanding opportunities for young people nationwide.

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