Ogun State Government has called for partnership and sponsorship of the sporting events by the Dangote Group ahead of the next edition of the National Sports Festival (NSF).
The 2024 edition of NSF christened Gateway Games will be held in Ogun State by November this year.
The state government on Wednesday appealed to Dangote Group and other industries to be part of the event to drive sports development in the state.
Commissioner for Sports Development, Wasiu Isiaka, made the demand during the presentation of certificates to 30 beneficiaries of the 2024 community youths empowerment programme of Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese plant.
Isiaka commended Dangote for giving back to the communities with the company’s various corporate social responsibility programmes.
Isiaka called on the management of the company to partner with the state government as one of the sponsors of the forthcoming National Sports Festival (NSF).
“What we are witnessing today is a very good improvement in what we have been seeing and hearing before. I implore you to improve on this and make the next one bigger than this.
“We are ready to collaborate with you in the area of youth empowerment and sports development, therefore we are calling on you to extend your hand of followership to us and support us in hosting the forthcoming National Youths Sports Festival.
“If you can sponsor sport for our people, for our communities here, we will not mind, we are ready to collaborate with you and if you do it our people will appreciate it,” Isiaka said.
Responding, the Group Head of Social Performance, Dangote Cement Plc, Wakili Olayiwola, assured the government of Dangote’s partnership.
He, however, asked the commissioner to put forward a formal request for the sponsorship.
