Lagos State Sports Commission Director-General, Lekan Fatodu (left), and Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, during an engagement with the organisers of the sports initiatives.
The Lagos State Government has thrown its weight behind two endurance sports initiatives aimed at raising awareness about mental health and combating drug abuse among young people.
The initiatives, championed by Olufemi Osinubi and Dare Akinrodoye, received the backing of the Lagos State Sports Commission and the Ministry of Youth and Social Development during a meeting with the organisers on Tuesday.
Osinubi is leading the Race Against Drug Abuse campaign, under which he and a team of runners plan to embark on a run from Abuja to Lagos.
The proposed challenge follows a similar run from Ibadan to Lagos, which Osinubi recently completed as part of his campaign against drug abuse.
He said his advocacy through running began in 2024, adding that he planned to extend the campaign beyond Lagos in collaboration with relevant government agencies, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Akinrodoye, meanwhile, is using endurance sports to promote awareness of mental health challenges, particularly depression and suicide.
In 2024, he swam the 11.8km stretch of the Third Mainland Bridge to draw attention to mental health issues.
His latest initiative, tagged Mind Over Miles, will take the campaign across three states through a triathlon scheduled for November 15, 2026.
The challenge will begin with a 3.8km swim at Owala Dam in Osogbo, Osun State, followed by a 180km cycling ride from the dam to the Sagamu Interchange in Ogun State.
Participants will then complete a 42.2km run to Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
Akinrodoye said his decision to champion mental health awareness was inspired by his personal struggles.
The Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, said the initiatives demonstrated how sports could be used to address social challenges beyond conventional competition.
“As a government, we are always committed to supporting the positive endeavours of our people. Their commitment to uplifting people and social development is tied around what they do in sports,” Fatodu said.
He added that sporting activities could serve as a means of communicating important messages to society.
“They engage in extraordinary sports activities that push the limits of human strength and physicality, and that is why this is important.
” What we do in sports, as well as youth and social development, is beyond the usual competition. We know there are many ways we can communicate with society through sports,” he added.
The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, said the initiatives aligned with the state government’s efforts to tackle drug abuse and improve mental health awareness.
“For us as a government, we don’t just discover and leave behind; we nurture and foster a great relationship.
“We currently have an ongoing advocacy in the fight against drug abuse, and we must continue to use all avenues that we have to continue.
“Mental health is real and the awareness needs to be amplified, so that the young people who are suffering know that the government is listening,” he said.
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