LAGOS GOVT BACKS ENDURANCE SPORTS INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH, FIGHT DRUG ABUSE
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Lagos State Government has thrown its weight behind two endurance sports initiatives aimed at raising awareness about mental health challenges and combating drug abuse among young people.
One of the initiatives, championed by endurance athlete Dare Akinrodoye, will see him undertake a triathlon across Osun, Ogun and Lagos states on November 15, 2026, to promote mental health awareness, particularly on depression and suicide.
Tagged Project 226 (Mind Over Miles), the challenge will begin with a 3.8-kilometre swim at Owala Dam in Osogbo, Osun State, followed by a 180-kilometre cycling ride from the dam to Sagamu Interchange in Ogun State.
Akinrodoye will then complete the challenge with a 42.2-kilometre run to Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
In 2024, he swam the 11.8-kilometre stretch of the Third Mainland Bridge to draw attention to mental health issues.
Akinrodoye said his decision to champion mental health awareness was inspired by his personal struggles, adding that he hoped to use endurance sports to encourage conversations about mental health and reach people who might be experiencing similar challenges.
The second initiative, led by Olufemi Osinubi, is the Race Against Drug Abuse campaign, under which he and a team of runners plan to embark on a run from Abuja to Lagos.
The proposed challenge follows a similar run from Ibadan to Lagos, which Osinubi recently completed as part of his advocacy against drug abuse.
He said his campaign through running began in 2024, adding that he intended to extend the initiative beyond Lagos in collaboration with relevant government agencies, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The initiatives received the backing of the Lagos State Sports Commission and the Ministry of Youth and Social Development during a meeting with the organisers on Tuesday.
The Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, said the initiatives demonstrated how sports could be deployed to address social challenges beyond conventional competition.
“As a government, we are always committed to supporting the positive endeavours of our people. Their commitment to uplifting people and social development is tied around what they do in sports,” Fatodu said.
He added that endurance sports provided an avenue to communicate important messages and promote social development.
“They engage in extraordinary sports activities that push the limits of human strength and physicality, and that is why this is important.
“What we do in sports, as well as youth and social development, is beyond the usual competition. We know there are many ways we can communicate with society through sports,” he said.
The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, said the initiatives aligned with the state government’s efforts to tackle drug abuse and improve mental health awareness.
“For us as a government, we don’t just discover and leave behind; we nurture and foster a great relationship,” Ogunlende said.
He said the state government would continue to use available platforms to strengthen its anti-drug abuse advocacy.
“We currently have an ongoing advocacy in the fight against drug abuse, and we must continue to use all avenues that we have to continue.
“Mental health is real and the awareness needs to be amplified, so that the young people who are suffering know that the government is listening,” he added.
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