The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Q and N Sports Development Ltd, Prince Adewale Adegbite, has asserted that sports, rather than academics alone, can secure a brighter future for Nigerian youths. Adegbite made this statement during the grand finale of the Waves of Champions Football Tournament 2026, held at the Gateway International Stadium. He emphasized that sports have the potential to transform the country by discovering young talents, reducing youth unemployment and crime, and creating opportunities for them to excel globally.
Concerns Over Nigeria's Olympic Performance
Adegbite lamented Nigeria's poor representation at the last Olympic Games, stating that it exposed the urgent need for grassroots sports development and talent discovery across the nation. He expressed concern that a country with a population of over 200 million could not produce up to 20 athletes capable of representing it on the global stage. He noted that in Africa, education is always prioritized, and parents do not believe in sports or entertainment. He recalled that growing up, parents wanted their children to become lawyers, doctors, or engineers; anything short of that was considered a failure to the family.
Adegbite said: "In Africa, education is always the priority. Parents don't believe in sports or entertainment. Currently, entertainment is what everybody wants to do. Growing up, parents wanted their children to be lawyers, doctors, engineers; anything short of that is considered a failure to their family. So, the reason why I decided to embark on this mission is because during the last Olympics, the representation of Nigerians at the Olympics was despicable. For a country that is the most populated Black nation in the world and the most populated nation in West Africa, over 200 million and still counting, we could not field 20 athletes to represent our great nation, and we call ourselves the Giant of Africa. I want to discover talent and start nurturing them and have them represent my brand locally and then, essentially, start representing Nigeria globally."
He noted that this is one of the verifiable means that most elite athletes in the world are developed from the grassroots with adequate support and training facilities.
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Also speaking at the event, the representative of Ogun West Senatorial District, Solomon Olamilekan, who was represented by the former Chairman of Sagamu Local Government, Prince Daisi Akintan, commended the organizers for bringing a world-class standard to the tournament. He noted that it has become a talent-hunting competition where champions will continue to emerge in years to come.
One of the members of the organizing committee, Olufisola Ige-Lahanmi, said the initiative was designed to identify talented youths early, nurture them, and prepare them to represent Nigeria on the global stage. She explained that the organizers planned to carry out orientation programs, secure parental support and documentation for the selected participants before moving them into camping and structured training programs.
Meanwhile, the Radanuwa of Idado in Sagamu, Oba Oriyomi Soile, commended the organizers for staging what he described as a successful and impactful competition. He noted that increased support for similar grassroots sports initiatives from government, private organizations, and individuals could help reduce youth restiveness, drug abuse, and other social vices.
Additionally, Bolatito Adegbite described the tournament as a platform for discovering and developing talented youths, stressing that sports could serve as a tool for nation-building and youth engagement. She urged the government to invest more in sports development as a way of empowering young people and steering them away from crime and drug abuse.
