ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED NOW GRAND PATRON OF AFRICAN SPORTS TOURISM WEEK
During Prince Deji Ajomale-McWord’s courtesy visit to Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Honorable Minister of Information & Culture, Federal Republic of Nigeria, he consented to taking on the role of Grand Patron of the continent’s premier and pan-African sports travel trade event known as African Sports Tourism Week.
Quoting the minister, Prince Deji, who is the founder/president of African Sports Tourism Week said “there is an artificial divide between sport and tourism and it’s about time we knocked it down. It would be a pleasure to play a role in the achievement of that”. According to Prince Deji, the minister would also be delivering a speech at the event.
African Sports Tourism Week, which was last held in the city of Accra, Ghana, made its debut in Lagos Nigeria – in 2018 – and is, once again, set to be hosted by its city of birth. It would hold between 4th and 6th of November, 2021.
Activities for the week include African Sports Tourism Summit & Masterclass, Sport Holiday & Events Awards and Diplomacy Stableford Golf Tournament. At the Sport Holiday & Events Awards, notable brands and individuals who have been putting their money where their mouth is, in pushing the frontiers of sports tourism in Nigeria and encouraging people to travel Nigeria for sporting purposes, will be inducted into Nigerian Sports Tourism Hall of Fame.
The individual inductees include the Honorable Minister of Youth & Sports - Sunday Dare, Gov. Babajide Sanwoolu of Lagos State, the President of Nigeria Football Federation - Amaju Pinnick, the chairman/founder of Air Peace - Allen Onyema, founder/CEO of Aiteo - Benedict Peters, the chairman/founder of Bet9ja and ValueJet - Kunle Soname, Abimbola Ilo of Integral and Bukola Olopade of Nilayo Sports Management.
The corporate brand inductees are MTN Nigeria, Access Bank, Glo, First Bank, Aiteo, Guarantee Trust Bank.
Some of the speakers at the summit & masterclass include Desmond Chiji – Country Manager – Nigeria/Ghana La Liga, Hafeez Balogun Kenya Airways’ Country Manager & PRO of Nigeria Supporters Club, the Country Manager of Rwandair - Muhamud Wayiga, the President of US Sports Congress - Lou Mengsol, CEO of Sports Tourism Consulting - Maurici Cabo Lisbona, GM os Spanish Sports Association - Fabian Queseda.
Also delivering speeches at the summit are the President of Nigeria Football Association and the Honorable Minister of Youth & Sports.