Nigerian football icon, Chief Segun Odegbami, has been unveiled as the Grand Sports Ambassador of Ogun State in the lead-up to the 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF), scheduled to take place from May 16 to 30 across venues in the state.
The announcement was made by Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, during a media parley with sports editors in Abeokuta, where he lauded Odegbami’s historic contributions to Nigerian sports and revealed his broader role beyond the festival.
“Permit me to use this opportunity to perform this ceremony of unveiling Chief Segun Odegbami as our Grand Sports Ambassador,” Governor Abiodun declared, emphasising that Odegbami’s appointment reflects a strategic plan to grow Ogun’s sports economy and empower its youth through sport.
While acknowledging other Ogun-born global sports figures such as heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua and world record hurdler Tobi Amusan, the governor explained that Odegbami’s role would be more structural and long-term. “The National Sports Festival will come and go, but we’re already thinking of leveraging the gains that will come from hosting the NSF,” he said. “That’s where Odegbami will come in—to help us maximise the sports economy.”
Governor Abiodun also disclosed that the former Super Eagles captain has presented a development model inspired by the renowned Amsterdam Arena, which the state now plans to adapt for the MKO Abiola International Stadium in Abeokuta.
As the state prepares to host athletes from across the nation, the 22nd edition of the NSF will feature 549 events with a total of 2,150 medals up for grabs. The appointment of Odegbami is expected to bolster Ogun’s sporting legacy and spark renewed interest in sustainable sports development across the state.
