By Emmanuel Daniji

The Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Hon. Lekan Fatodu, has visited the mother of a Lagos State athlete whose ordeal recently went viral on social media, assuring the family of the Commission’s intervention and measures to prevent a recurrence.

A video recently circulated online showing the mother, Mrs. Kafayat Oshodi, expressing her grievances over the circumstances surrounding her daughter, a Lagos State athlete, who was allegedly prevented from participating in a crucial sporting engagement due to the actions of personnel of a local government.

Following the development, Fatodu visited the family at their residence on Rabiatu Street, Shitta, Surulere, Lagos, where he expressed concern over the incident and empathised with the young athlete.

The LSSC DG assured the family that the Commission would take immediate steps to engage the government agency involved and seek a resolution to the matter.

Fatodu said the development was inconsistent with the broader objective of the Lagos State Government to identify, nurture and empower young sporting talents.

“The dream of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the mandate of the Commission is to see young talents being discovered in Lagos and nurtured to full potential. So, any action by anyone or an entity that seeks to negate that lofty ambition for youth empowerment through sports will be a massive disservice to efforts on talent development,” he said.

He further disclosed that the Commission was considering both immediate and long-term measures to ensure that similar situations do not occur in the future.

According to him, the Commission would work towards establishing a more robust policy framework and stronger communication channels involving the Sports Commission, other government agencies, parents and athletes.

“I am assuring you of immediate action by reaching out to the government entity involved in the situation to avert future occurrences. We are looking at mid- and long-term responses that will include the activation of a robust policy framework aimed at mitigating similar circumstances, expanding communication channels among the Commission, parents and the athletes to ensure urgent support whenever the need arises, and increasing awareness among MDAs to protect future talents,” Fatodu said.

He stressed that greater collaboration among government institutions would be necessary to protect young athletes and ensure that administrative processes do not inadvertently undermine their sporting opportunities.

Reacting to the visit, Mrs. Oshodi acknowledged the role of the Lagos State Sports Commission in supporting the aspirations of her daughter and other young athletes.

However, she called for stronger engagement between the Commission and other government institutions across the state.

She advised the Commission to intensify its enlightenment efforts among government agencies to ensure that they do not inadvertently become obstacles to the ambitions of young people, particularly female athletes.

The development has also renewed attention on the need for stronger institutional coordination in sports administration, particularly where young athletes depend on timely support and cooperation between government agencies to participate in major sporting engagements.