Sports

PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon Earns World Athletics Label

Published

13 hours ago

October 29, 2025

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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Sports

NSC Chairman Thumbs Olopade On Succesful Conduct of Sports Federation Elections

Published

2 days ago

October 28, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko has praised the Director General of the Commission Hon. Bukola Olopade, following the successful and smooth conduct of the National Sports federation elections held over the weekend in Abuja.

The National Sports Commission conducted what will go down as one of the most transparent and peaceful federation elections across 18 Sports, resulting in new Presidents and Board members for the next four years.

Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, while congratulating the newly elected members, showered special praise on the DG for his dogged, firm and charistmatic role in the smooth conduct of the polls.

” This is one of the most peaceful federation elections that has been conducted in this country in recent times and the DG played a significant role for this to be achieved as he stood firm to uphold integrity, transparency and justice”.

” The Federation elections have always been a banana peel over the years but the DG made sure this time around it was a total different story with the cooperation of all stakeholders”.

” I must also praise the Electoral committee chaired by Dr Simon Ebhonjaiye, as they worked round the clock with the DG for this to be achieved “, he added.

Meanwhile the entire election process has continued to received the accolades of stakeholder across the Sports family.

Minister of Finance Wale Edun, who is the new elected President of the Nigeria boxing Federation, NBBF, has commended the commission and assured of a new dawn for boxing in the country.

” The leadership of the NSC led by both the chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko the DG Hon Nikola Olopade have shown professional leadership in the way these elections have been conducted”.

The New President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation Victor Ochei said ” I am more than excited and proud that the Nigeria’s sports is in the hands of astute administrators like Hon Bukola Olopade and I am commited to complement the commission’s efforts to deliver the mandate of building a sustainable sports economy through tennis”.

According to Tayo Popoola, the newly Elected President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, ” the Sports Commission must be commended for chatting a new focus of competency across the various Sports federations and the quality of the recent federation elections has raised the bar and sets a new standard in the sports ecosystem”.

The NSC conducted elections into 18 Sports federations that include Taekwondo, Hockey, Deaf Sports, Tennis, Scrabble, Aquatics, Shooting, Golf, Handball,Rugby. Others include Fives ,Chess, Wrestling, , Squash, Traditional Sports, Wushu-Kungfu, Boxing and Karate.

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