Ogun State Government on Tuesday unveiled a 16-man Local Organising Committee for the 2024 National Sports Festival.
Unveiling the LOC in Abeokuta, the state capital on Tuesday, Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, in a statement listed a former Commissioner for Youths and Sports in the state, Bukola Olopade as the chairman, with Tilewa Adebayo, a sports enthusiast, as co-chairman.
Another member of the committee was double Olympics silver medallist Falilat Ogunkoya-Omotayo (MON).
Others were Dr Emmanuel Igbinosa, Dr Kweku Tandoh, Prof Oluwaseun Omotayo, Dare Alebiosu, Kunle Solaja, Olusegun Oyende, Olatunji Onatolu, Modele Sharafa-Yussuf, Demola Are, Abiodun Elegbede and Ola Adisa.
Talabi said the LOC had been mandated to set up sub-committees, made up of various stakeholders, to ensure a hitch-free exercise as well as deliver a sports festival that is second to none in the country.
Ogun State Government in May signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development.
During the ceremony, Governor Dapo Abiodun had told the Federal Government delegation, led by the then sports minister, Sunday Dare, that Ogun, being a state noted for recording many firsts in all spheres of human endeavour, was ready to host a world-class festival in 2024, asserting that they had capable hands and sponsors ready to support the bid.
To that end, the former minister, while expressing the FG’s acceptance of the proposal, noted that the choice of Ogun State as the next hosts of the NSF was due to its culture of sports development, availability of sporting infrastructure and potential to host a befitting festival that would linger for a long time.