By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Athletics Heat Meet, Ese Oguma, has called on corporate organisations to increase investment in Nigerian athletics, stressing the need for greater financial and institutional support to help athletes develop their talents and compete on the global stage.
Oguma made the appeal as the Athletics Heat Meet celebrated its 10th anniversary on Saturday in Lagos, reflecting on a decade of providing competitive opportunities for athletes and promoting athletic excellence.
He explained that the competition was initially established to give athletes an opportunity to compete ahead of the National Sports Festival, but has since evolved into a platform for celebrating outstanding performances and increasing the visibility of Nigerian athletics.
In a statement signed by Maxwell Kumoye, Chairman of the Media Committee of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Oguma said his personal experience as an athlete played a significant role in inspiring the initiative.
“I really just wanted to give a platform for athletes to compete before the National Sports Festival. That was why I put this event in November. That was the idea,” he said.
Oguma added that beyond organising an annual competition, his ambition was to celebrate athletes, recognise their achievements and create opportunities for Nigerian talents to gain international recognition.
“First of all, I’m an athlete. So my own idea is just to celebrate athletes and put them on the world stage as much as I can,” he stated.
He also urged individuals and organisations with the capacity to support sports development to contribute meaningfully, noting that promoting athletics requires commitment and the right mindset.
On the relationship with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Oguma described the federation’s support as encouraging and consistent, noting that its approval of the competition had contributed significantly to its growth.
“Having this event, first of all, has to be approved by Athletics, and that alone was a great support for us. I think that support is consistent,” he said.
Looking ahead, the Athletics Heat founder stressed that developing Nigerian athletics should not be left solely to government and sports federations, urging corporate organisations to play a more active role in supporting athletes.
“These are great talents that need to be recognised, and we need more money and more corporate sponsors for us, definitely,” he added.
He expressed hope that the 10-year journey of Athletics Heat would inspire more individuals and organisations to invest in athletes and create opportunities for the growth of the sport.
Established a decade ago, the Athletics Heat Meet has continued to provide a competitive platform for athletes while promoting excellence and recognising outstanding performances in Nigerian athletics.
For Oguma, however, the ultimate legacy of the initiative goes beyond medals and prize money, but lies in building a culture of sustained investment, recognition and support for Nigerian athletes.
