By Funsho Arogundade
If there is one appointment by President Bola Tinubu —in his 18 month-old administration— that has been greeted with a wide applause, it’s that of the quintessential sports magnate, Chief Bukola Olawale Olopade. Olopade was appointed the Director General of the newly revived National Sports Commission (NSC). With an impressive career that spans sports administration, marketing, and event management, Olopade’s appointment is seen as a game-changer for Nigerian sports, bringing a wealth of experience and vision to a sector that is ready for transformation.
The Abeokuta, Ogun State-born Sports guru is a vastly experienced sports administrator that has been pragmatic and resilient over the years towards results and achievements. He is not only an internationally-acclaimed expert in sports management and business, his experience in the administration of various youth-related endeavours is also fitting for the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the area of raising the country’s employment initiative.
His journey in sports cuts across both public and private sectors. Olopade’s magic wand was spotted by former Governor Gbenga Daniel who appointed him as a Special Adviser and promptly gave him the task to turn around the fortunes of the sporting sector in Ogun state. It was during this tenure that he became intimately involved in the intricate world of sports administration. His subsequent appointment as Commissioner for Youth and Sports marked a pivotal moment in Olopade’s career as this allowed him to spearhead initiatives such as hosting the Gateway Games 2006, which is Nigeria’s biennial Sports festival. That edition, which was the first since its inception in 1973 to declare a profit, served as a profound realisation of the untapped potential within the realm of sports for socio economic impact.
The Egba High Chief then moved on to bigger things with his Nilayo Sports Management Company becoming one of the most sought-after in the country. The company is the brain behind the success story of the Lagos International Marathon and other international races in the country. Many were of the belief that the President got it right with the combination of Shehu Dikko as Chairman and Olopade as the DG of Nigeria’s new apex sports governing body. With Dikko and Olopade —two of the country’s brightest brains in sports business— now saddled with the renewed task to rebrand Nigerian Sports, there is no gainsaying that the duo will chart and execute a formidable pathway for success in our sports. Already, a winner of The Sun Sports Personality of the Year Award, will be combining his role as NSC boss with that of Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the National Sports Festival holding in Ogun State in January 2025.