Oyebanji Restates Commitment To Sports, Tourism Development

Ekiti State government, successful collaboration with the Ikogosi Marathon Initiative, has announced plans for the 2nd variation of the Ikogosi 17.5km Marathon race, scheduled for November 8, 2025. The lawsuit is designed to beforehand fitness, pull investments and showcase the state’s earthy endowment.

At a property league successful Ado Ekiti connected Monday, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, who was represented by his method advisor connected Sports Development, Dr Olusola Osetoba, restated his administration’s committedness to sports and tourism improvement arsenic a cardinal operator of economical maturation and younker engagement successful the state.

He added that the Ikogosi contention goes beyond competition, providing a level to beforehand steadfast surviving portion placing the authorities connected the planetary sporting map.

The organisers accidental the 27.5km marathon volition diagnostic implicit 5,000 athletes and participants. It volition tally done scenic routes successful Ilawe, with the finishing constituent astatine the iconic Ikogosi Warm Springs edifice successful Ikogosi—Ekiti.

While assuring that his authorities would proceed to spouse with applicable stakeholders to marque Ekiti a sports and tourism hub and describing the lawsuit arsenic much than conscionable a contention but a solemnisation of resilience, unity, and excellence that reflects the Ekiti spirit, the Governor urged residents to invited visitors warmly and showcase the state’s culture, values, and peaceful atmosphere.

In his remarks, the initiator of the Ikogosi Marathon, Mr. Femi Abegunde, who commended Governor Oyebanji for his steadfast committedness to sports improvement successful the State, noted that the Governor’s accordant enactment for sports and younker development, peculiarly the marathon reflects a broader imaginativeness to usage athletics not conscionable arsenic recreation, but arsenic a strategical level for younker empowerment, economical growth, and authorities branding.

He stressed that the Governor’s enactment is gradually transforming the authorities into a vibrant destination for sports tourism successful Nigeria.

He outlined the race’s prize structure, with elite winners acceptable to person ₦2 million, ₦1.5 million, and ₦1 cardinal for first, second, and 3rd places, respectively, portion Indigenous athletes volition beryllium awarded prizes ranging from ₦1.5 cardinal to ₦50,000 for the apical six positions.

Also speaking, the Director General, Bureau of Tourism Development, Ambassador Wale Ojo-Lanre, who described the marathon arsenic a strategical lawsuit that aligns with the government’s imaginativeness of utilizing tourism and sports arsenic tools for economical growth, noted that hosting specified an lawsuit would not lone pull visitors to the authorities but besides stimulate concern activities for hoteliers, transporters, artisans, and different work providers successful the tourism worth chain.