Former Governor of Nigeria’s Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, has hailed the performances at the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Cup that showcased Africa’s abundant sporting talent, highlighting that “investing in sports will help us immensely.”
Fashola, who was the special guest at the grand finale held at the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra, said the event highlighted the continent’s rich human resources in sports.
“I am particularly thrilled by the display of these young talents,” he remarked. “It shows that our continent is rich in human resources when it comes to sports.”
“Looking at what happened in Accra, I could see raw talents that only need refining to become world-class.”
“I must commend the leadership of ITTF Africa led by Wahid Oshodi for putting up a good show for the world to see, and I hope this can be replicated in other sports,” Fashola said.
Fashola, a former Nigerian Minister of Works and Housing, was recognised during the tournament for his contributions to the resurgence of table tennis in Africa.
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As Governor of Lagos, he supported the launch of the Lagos Table Tennis Classic, which later evolved into the Nigeria Open and is now the globally recognised WTT Contender Lagos.
Emphasising Africa’s youthful population, Fashola urged leaders to make conscious investments in sports development.
“Looking at Africa’s strength as the continent with the youngest people in the world, investing in sport will help us immensely,” he said. “These young people can earn a lot from sports.”
“As we know, sports is now a trillion-dollar industry globally. If we deliberately invest in grassroots sports development, we can truly benefit as a continent.”
He called on policymakers to view sports not merely as recreation but as a money-spinning industry capable of lifting Africa’s fortunes.
