The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has rewarded two teenage Nigerian swimmers with a total of N5 million for their outstanding performances at the 2025 Africa Zone 2 Swimming Championship.
The development was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the Special Assistant on Media in the Office of the Director General of the NSC, Kola Daniel.
According to the statement, the recognition formed part of an appreciation tour of secondary schools aimed at celebrating young athletes and strengthening grassroots sports development in the country.
The initiative began with a visit to Grange School, Lagos, where standout swimmers Aidan Dumuije-Abili and Tofunmi Ibidapo were honoured for their achievements.
Speaking during the presentation, Olopade said the initiative reflects the leadership example of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said: “We are only emulating the great leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has shown us many times that when you do well for this country, irrespective of your field, a grateful nation will always say thank you.”
The visit followed Team Nigeria’s impressive outing at the 2025 Africa Zone 2 Swimming Championship, where the country set multiple continental records and showcased a new generation of youth athletes.
Fourteen-year-old Aidan Dumuije-Abili emerged as the standout performer of the championship after setting five new Africa Zone 2 records.
He also won six gold medals, one silver and one bronze to claim the Most Valuable Junior Athlete award.
Tofunmi Ibidapo also impressed at the tournament, winning gold, silver and bronze medals across individual and relay events.
Olopade said the athletes’ achievements underscored the importance of investing in grassroots sports.
He said: “Last year was an amazing year for grassroots sports development.
“We were able to pull together young talents across different sports, and that has given us confidence that 2028 looks very promising.
“Even the Commonwealth Games this year is looking good because of these young talents.”
The NSC Director General added that recognising young athletes would inspire more Nigerian youths to pursue sports as a tool for development.
He said: “It was high time we started saying thank you to our young budding talents.
“That encouragement will inspire millions of young Nigerians who are intentional about using sport as a tool for development.”
Olopade added: “The place of grassroots must be at the very top. We are not joking with grassroots development.”
During the visit, Aidan received a N3 million cash award while Tofunmi was presented with N2 million.
Olopade is expected to continue the appreciation tour in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where more young athletes will be recognised for their achievements.
