August 2, 2022

Lagos State Government has flagged off the Lagos State School Sports Intervention Programme (LASSIP) designed to reintegrate sports into the school curriculum.

Speaking at the official commencement of the initiative held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Olusegun Dawodu, stated that LASSIP, conceived two years ago, is another of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s unprecedented investments in youth development designed to provide more options and opportunities for students to excel in sports and academics.

He explained that the initiative introduced by the present administration through the Lagos State Sports Commission, in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Education, would deepen the commitment to developing and transforming school sports.

The Commissioner emphasised the importance of the programme to the Greater Lagos vision, adding that LASSIP will provide an opportunity for the schools to groom students who will excel in Sports and Education, noting that the programme will be held in different batches for over 400 Games Masters and Physical Education Teachers.

Also, the Executive Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepeku said LASSIP’s broad vision includes leveraging sports to promote physical fitness and wellness, alternative career paths for young people and a sustainable pipeline of talent discovery and development.

The LSSC boss stated further that through the partnership with the Ministry of Education and collaboration of the six education districts, the Statewide training programme will attain its full potential through the training of over 400 sports masters and physical education teachers across Lagos as a first step in the deployment of the LASSIP.

“We are also planning to educate the parents so that they can allow the children to participate in Sports and the Career paths that exist in it”, Aiyepeku added.

The Permanent Secretary, Education District I, Mrs. Titilayo Solarin, commended the LSSC for working closely with the Education Districts since the inception of the present administration, just as she applauded the LASSIP initiative.

Solarin also acknowledged the efforts of the present administration, through the LSSC, for the training of Games Masters/Mistresses and Physical Education Teachers towards contributing meaningfully to the development of School Sports in Lagos State.