NSC names Fatodu Nigeria Aquatics Federation president

Lekan Fatodu, the Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, has been appointed as the new president of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation. The National Sports Commission announced the decision Friday, stating it is part of a broader effort to reform sports federations.

Bukola Olopade, Director General of the NSC, highlighted that the appointment is intended to bring capable leadership and institutional reforms to the federation, with a renewed emphasis on athlete development. Fatodu's role will involve overseeing the growth of swimming, diving, water polo, and artistic swimming across Nigeria.

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This appointment represents an opportunity to build stronger structures for aquatic sports development across the country. Our focus will be on creating pathways that identify talent early, strengthen coaching and technical capacity, improve competition opportunities, and ensure that Nigerian athletes can compete successfully on the continental and global stage. Sustainable sports development requires systems, consistency, and collaboration, and that is the approach we intend to pursue.

Fatodu's appointment follows his success in leading Team Lagos to a historic first-place finish at the National Youth Games last year. He described the new position as a call to service, emphasizing his intent to build stronger structures for aquatic sports development. "Our focus will be on creating pathways that identify talent early, strengthen coaching and technical capacity, improve competition opportunities, and ensure that Nigerian athletes can compete successfully on the continental and global stage," Fatodu stated.

He further stressed the importance of sustainable sports development through systems, consistency, and collaboration. Fatodu believes the future of Nigerian sports hinges on deliberately nurturing young talent through organized programs that connect grassroots participation with elite performance. "Our objective must be to create a development model where every talented young Nigerian, regardless of location, has a realistic opportunity to discover, develop, and maximise his or her sporting potential," he added.

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Our objective must be to create a development model where every talented young Nigerian, regardless of location, has a realistic opportunity to discover, develop, and maximise his or her sporting potential. Aquatic sports offer tremendous possibilities, and we must work collectively to unlock them.