The Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, has embarked on an appreciation tour of secondary schools, to honour Nigeria’s brightest young stars.
The initiative, which began with visit to the secondary school of standout swimmers Aidan Dumuije-Abili and Tofunmi Ibidapo (Grange School, Lagos), is part of a new Commission strategy aimed at recognizing young talents early, encouraging integrity in age-grade sports, and changing the narrative around youth development in Nigeria.
The visit on Wednesday follows Team Nigeria’s commanding performance at the 2025 Africa Zone 2 Swimming Championship, where the country broke multiple continental records and showcased a new generation of elite youth athletes.
Speaking during the presentation, Hon. Olopade said the initiative reflects the leadership example of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We are only emulating the great leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has shown us many times that when you do well for this country, irrespective of your field, a grateful nation will always say thank you,” he said.
“Last year was an amazing year for grassroots sports development. We were able to pull together young talents across different sports, and that has given us confidence that 2028 looks very promising. Even the Commonwealth Games this year is looking good because of these young talents.”
14-year-old Aidan Dumuije-Abili emerged as the standout performer of the championship, setting five new Africa Zone 2 records and winning six gold medals, one silver, and one bronze. He was voted the Most Valuable Junior Athlete of the tournament.
Tofunmi Ibidapo also delivered a remarkable performance, outperforming her peers to secure gold, silver, and bronze medals across both individual and relay events, further cementing Nigeria’s dominance at the championship.
The DG said “It was high time we started saying thank you to our young budding talents. That encouragement will inspire millions of young Nigerians who are intentional about using sport as a tool for development.”
“The place of grassroots must be at the very top. We are not joking with grassroots development.”
In recognition of his exceptional achievement, the NSC DG presented Aidan and Tofunmi with a ₦3 million and ₦2 million cash awards respectively.
The DG will be visiting Abeokuta, Ogun State next, as more youngsters get recognized for their exceptional abilities.
