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Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, has commended the organisers of the 2026 UNITECOL Cup for creating a platform that promotes youth empowerment, sports development, and unity among tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
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Speaking during the opening ceremony of the tournament at the UNILAG Sports Centre, the commissioner praised the consistency of the organisers and reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to supporting initiatives that positively impact young people.
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“I really appreciate the organisers of this tournament. At the last edition at YABATECH, I was there for both the opening and closing ceremony to continue to give support, and we are here again for the second edition,” Ogunlende said.
The commissioner stressed that meaningful youth development requires collaboration between government bodies and private stakeholders, noting that government alone cannot provide every opportunity needed for young Nigerians to thrive.
“To say, it’s very important for collaboration of things like this, the government can’t do it alone. We must always come together to be able to give our young people the platform to thrive,” he added.
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Ogunlende highlighted the importance of sports as a universal language capable of bringing together young people from different backgrounds, institutions, and cultures.
According to him, tournaments like the UNITECOL Cup go beyond competition and help strengthen unity and social interaction among students.
“The importance of this is to promote sporting events and education by bringing several universities together under one stadium. It brings unity, promoting culture and different backgrounds under one space. That’s what Nigeria and Lagos is all about,” he explained.
The commissioner further described sports as a critical instrument for shaping the future generation.
He added, “And of course, the power of sports, it’s a universal language for young people. Through them, the Lagos of tomorrow will surely start today.”
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Ogunlende assured participants and organisers that the Lagos State Government would continue to support youth-focused sporting initiatives capable of creating opportunities locally and internationally.
“For me, it’s very important to be here to give them the encouragement and support that they need. As government, we would always put them on the global scale,” he said.
He also pointed to the growing presence of football scouts and talent development opportunities linked to such competitions, revealing that several young athletes could secure opportunities abroad through exposure gained at the tournament.
“Young players playing here have an opportunity to play abroad, as we have different scouts with many of these programs,” he noted.
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The commissioner concluded by revealing plans to deepen engagement with tertiary institutions and stakeholders across Lagos State to improve sports development and collaboration.
“In Lagos, we have tertiary institutions to look into, and that’s why I will look at other stakeholders for engagement and better collaboration,” he concluded.
