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Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA Chairman Promises to Promote Sports …As 4th Edition of KAROMISHAUS Boxing Competition Holds …Why I’m Passionate About Boxing-Comrade Ernest Kasunmu
The Chairman of Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos, Hon. Abiodun Ishola Ejigbadero, has pledged to promote sporting activities in the area as a means of engaging youths productively and making them more useful to society.
Hon. Ejigbadero made this commitment during the finals of the 4th Agbado Oke-Odo Eji Boxing Championship 2025, organised by KAROMISHAUS under the leadership of the Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC) of the LCDA, Comrade Ernest Olabowale Babatunde Kasunmu.
The boxing competition was held at Temidire Primary School, Oke-Odo, Lagos, between December 20 and 23, 2025.
The Chairman noted that the competition had started before he assumed office, stressing that local councils should prioritise sports development at the grassroots level.
“My plan is to encourage the youths of Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA through sports. Sports is one of the tools we can use to bring people together; the youths, the elderly, and those of middle age.
“I want to appreciate the organiser of this programme, Comrade Ernest Kasunmu. He has been doing very well for the past four years, which is why we are supporting him. We also appeal to others to support this initiative and encourage our youths to actively participate in the competition,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, a former member of the House of Representatives from Ajeromi/Ifelodun Constituency, Lagos, Hon. Musibau Kolawole Taiwo, commended Comrade Kasunmu for organising the boxing championship independently over the years.
“Comrade Kasunmu is an ordinary citizen. When we were in school together, he was very passionate about boxing, so I am not surprised by what he is doing today.
“I am glad that he now has one or two sponsors. In the past, he used to sponsor it alone. We need programmes like this to help our youths understand that sports is not just for fun or dubious activities, but a viable career path.
“Activities like this help youths realise that their talents can open doors and take them to great heights. I once advocated for the creation of a ministry for grassroots sports where talents can be discovered early,” he said.
Hon. Kolawole, who is also a former Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, lamented that Nigeria is no longer catching talents young, noting that the country now searches for self-trained athletes to place in international academies.
“We are not training them locally, so they don’t carry the Nigerian story or values with them. Anyone who rises through a local boxing setting will never forget where he comes from,” he added.
He further observed that Nigeria is currently weak in sports development, noting that basketball appears to be growing because facilities exist in most local governments, which has strengthened the league and boosted continental success.
“Beyond that, we can see what MTN is doing in sports. Unfortunately, our focus is still mainly on football, yet we no longer have a strong local league,” he said.
In his remarks, Comrade Ernest Kasunmu said it had always been his dream, as a CDC member of Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA, to bring youths together through sports.
He explained that after becoming CDC Chairman, he organised an economic summit about four years ago, during which ideas were conceived on how to turn the local government into a commercial hub, including the establishment of the boxing competition.
“I am a boxer myself. I represented Oyo State in boxing in the early 1980s, so I understand the sport very well.
“Boxing is an individual sport and it is very difficult to secure sponsorship. I sponsored this competition alone for years, but I thank God for the support of the new chairman of Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA, Hon. Abiodun Ejigbadero, and Ibile Microfinance Bank for supporting this year’s edition,” he said.
Kasunmu recalled that Nigeria’s first Olympic medal came from boxing, with legends such as the late Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey and Isaac Ikaria winning bronze medals for the country. He added that Nigerian boxers were also the first to win medals for the country at the Commonwealth Games.
According to him, boxing has played a vital role in Nigeria’s sporting history, but suffers from inadequate sponsorship.
“If we neglect the youths today, it will become a serious problem tomorrow. Meaningful engagement through sports is crucial.
“Abroad, boxing is one of the most lucrative sports, earning athletes millions of dollars and pounds. We have produced national and African boxing champions from this local government, and some even represent other states.
“We appeal to the federal government to create an enabling environment for boxing to thrive. This is a yearly programme and it will continue for many years to come,” he said.
The finals of the competition produced winners across several male and female categories, with most participants being youths and teenagers.
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