Fatodu appointed as new head of Nigeria Aquatics Federation

The National Sports Commission has named Lekan Fatodu as the new president of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation. Fatodu is the Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission. The announcement came on Friday from the NSC's Director General, Bukola Olopade. Olopade said the appointment aims to improve sports federations with strong leadership and better focus on athlete development.

As the federation's president, Fatodu will manage the growth of swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming, and other water sports in Nigeria. His appointment follows his success in leading Team Lagos to a historic first-place finish at the ninth edition of the National Youth Games in Asaba last year. Young swimmers from Lagos State performed exceptionally well at the event.

Fatodu spoke about his new role, saying it is a chance to serve and help advance an important part of Nigerian sports. He said, "This appointment represents an opportunity to build stronger structures for aquatic sports development across the country. Our focus will be on creating pathways that identify talent early, strengthen coaching and technical capacity, improve competition opportunities, and ensure that Nigerian athletes can compete successfully on the continental and global stage. Sustainable sports development requires systems, consistency, and collaboration, and that is the approach we intend to pursue."

He believes that the future of Nigerian sports depends on nurturing young talents through organized programs that connect grassroots participation with elite performance. Fatodu added, "Our objective must be to create a development model where every talented young Nigerian, regardless of location, has a realistic opportunity to discover, develop, and maximize his or her sporting potential. Aquatic sports offer tremendous possibilities, and we must work collectively to unlock them."