Health
Lagos backs sports-driven mental health, drug abuse campaigns
Abiodun Adewale
The Lagos State Government has backed two endurance sports initiatives aimed at using physical activity to raise awareness about mental health and strengthen the campaign against drug abuse among young people.
The initiatives, championed by Olufemi Osinubi and Dare Akinrodoye, received the support of the Lagos State Sports Commission and the Ministry of Youth and Social Development during an engagement with the organisers on Tuesday.
Osinubi is leading the Race Against Drug Abuse campaign, through which he and a team of runners plan to embark on an ambitious run from Abuja to Lagos.
The proposed run follows a similar journey from Ibadan to Lagos recently completed by Osinubi as part of his campaign against drug abuse.
According to Osinubi, his advocacy through running began in 2024, with plans to expand the campaign beyond Lagos in collaboration with relevant government agencies, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Akinrodoye, meanwhile, is using endurance sports to draw attention to mental health challenges, particularly suicide and depression.
In 2024, he swam the 11.8km stretch of the Third Mainland Bridge in an effort to raise awareness about mental health.
His latest initiative, tagged ‘Mind Over Miles’, will take the campaign to three states through a triathlon scheduled for November 15, 2026.
The event will commence with a 3.8km swim at Owala Dam in Osogbo, Osun State, before participants embark on a 180km cycling ride from Owala Dam to the Sagamu Interchange in Ogun State.
The challenge will end with a 42.2km run to the Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
Akinrodoye said his decision to champion mental health awareness was inspired by his personal struggles.
Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, said the initiatives demonstrated how sports could be deployed to address social challenges beyond conventional competition.
“As a government, we are always committed to supporting the positive endeavours of our people. Their commitment to uplifting people and social development is tied around what they do in sports,” Fatodu said during an engagement with the initiators on Tuesday.
“They engage in extraordinary sports activities that push the limits of human strength and physicality, and that is why this is important. What we do in sports, as well as youth and social development, is beyond the usual competition. We know there are many ways we can communicate with society through sports.”
The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, said the initiatives aligned with the state government’s efforts to address drug abuse and mental health challenges.
“For us as a government, we don’t just discover and leave behind; we nurture and foster a great relationship.
“We currently have an ongoing advocacy in the fight against drug abuse, and we must continue to use all avenues that we have to continue.
“Mental health is real and the awareness needs to be amplified, so that the young people who are suffering know that the government is listening.”
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: health_wise@punchng.
