Lagos backs endurance sports to promote mental health, fight drug abuse
The Lagos State Government has pledged support for two endurance sporting events aimed at promoting mental health awareness, healthy living and the campaign against drug abuse among young people.
The events, under Project 226, include an extreme triathlon from Osun State to Lagos by swimming coach and mental health advocate, Dare Akinrodoye, popularly known as Coach Dreh, and a long-distance run from Abuja to Lagos by Olufemi Oshinubi to raise awareness about drug abuse.
The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, and the Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Lekan Fatodu, disclosed the government’s support at a joint press conference held on Thursday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium office of the commission.
Fatodu said the state government remained committed to identifying and supporting sporting talents, noting that sports could serve as a tool for youth empowerment, social mobilisation and national development.
Ogunlende recalled meeting Akinrodoye more than a year ago following his swimming feat at the Third Mainland Bridge, after which he introduced him to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to draw attention to his sporting achievements and advocacy work. He also stressed the need to promote mental health awareness and sustain campaigns against drug abuse.
Akinrodoye said Project 226 would commence on November 15, 2026, from Osogbo, Osun State, and end at JJT Park, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. The challenge will comprise a 3.8-kilometre swim at Owan Dam, a 180-kilometre cycling leg to the Sagamu Interchange and a 42.2-kilometre run to Alausa, with the entire event expected to last between 17 and 18 hours.
“I am not just an athlete or a swimming coach; I am also a mental-health advocate who uses sports for development to pass a message,” Akinrodoye said.
Oshinubi, meanwhile, said his drug-abuse advocacy began in 2024 with a sensitisation run from Ibadan to Lagos, adding that he planned a new 21-day running campaign from Abuja to Lagos to deepen public awareness of the dangers of drug abuse.
