Adron Homes kicks off 2022 Adron Games in pomp and pageantry

(L-R) 2022 Adron Games Ambassadors, Tijani Babaginda, Chioma Ajunwa, Executive Director, Finance Adron Homes and Properties, Olori Aderonke Emmanuel King, Group Managing Director /Chief Executive Officer, Adron Homes and Properties, Aare (Dr.) Adetola Emmanuel King, Daniel Amokachie and Deji Hasstrup at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Adron Games which held Thursday, November 10 at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

Leading Real Estate and Propert Development company, Adron Homes and Properties Limited on Thursday, November 10 kicked off the 6thedition of its annual sports games in pomp and pageantry.Themed ‘The Fit are the best’, the games which are hosted this year at The Yaba College of Technology, Lagos is running for three days, November 10 to 12, 2022.In his welcome address before declaring the games open, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the real estate company, Aare (Dr.) Adetola Emmanuel King described the games as an annual fitness and bonding initiative by the company which brings many stakeholders together and promotes fitness among the workers, contractors, homeowners and the public.

He said: “Today marks yet another significant milestone in the Fitness and Bonding initiative of Adron Homes; ever in sync with the efforts that promote well- being and progress of our country. “The 2022 Adron Games is even more pertinent in this period of when there is an increasing global focus on mental health wellbeing, our Adron Games aimed as promotion of physical fitness and indeed mental wellbeing not have come at a better time. “The importance of Sports is universally upheld. It is the key to building a better future, hence its relevance even within the corporate space cannot be overemphasized.

We often take sports and leisure for granted. Yet millions of people around the world do not have access to sports, or are actively denied their right to participate.

We all admire the athletes and achievements on display during every global sporting event”. After unveiling the mascot for this edition, the games were declared open with a colorful parade by all the Regions; Gateway, Northern, Oyo, Capital, Living Fountain, Construction, Eko and Head Office with winners in order of arrangement.The first game of the day was the football match between Ex Super Eagles Internationals and Adron Contractors which ended in a one-all draw.During the half time of the match, a contortionist show entertained the audience followed by a tug of war between Abuja and Head Office which got the audience reeling with excitement as Abuja defeated Head office 2 -0 to emerge winner.

Next was a women football match between Oyo and Eko, a keenly contested match that ended 2 – 3 as Eko took their opponents to the cleaners. There was a halftime tug of war show between Ogun and Livingspring with the former winning 2 – 0. The last game of the day was a men football match between Oyo and Eko which ended 4 – 3 in favor of Oyo.

At half time Construction and Mainland slugged it out in the tug of war with Mainland trashing Construction 2 – 0.The games continue today with other interesting sporting events including aerobics and the Executive Director’s race as well as on Saturday when the games end.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has charged Super Eagles of Nigeria to beat the Squirrels of Benin Republic and Crocodiles of Lesotho in the crucial 2021 African Cup of Nations qualifying matches.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who promised to support the team, tasked the technical crew and players to work tirelessly to defeat Benin national team on Saturday at Porto Novo and beat Lesotho during a match to be played at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on Tuesday.

Speaking during a dinner with the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick; Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, technical crew and players, held at Lagos House, Marina on Wednesday evening, Governor Sanwo-Olu, said his administration is committed to improving sports activities in Lagos State.

The Governor during the dinner also surprised a member of the Atlanta 1996 Football Gold Medalist, Patrick Pascal by giving him a new three bedroom apartment in the 360 units Prince Abiodun Ogunleye Housing Estate in Igbogbo, Ikorodu.

Sanwo-Olu, said he is very excited that the senior national team is returning to Lagos to play competitive march after 20 years.

He said: “When it was said that we are going to have the match in Lagos, we did not only jump at it, we saw it as an opportunity to rewrite our history again.

Lagos used to be home for everything around football and sports in this country. Over 80 footballers came out of Lagos. Henry Nwosu, Samson Siasia, Jonathan Akpoborie, Odion Ighalo and many others were discovered in Lagos.

“We are supporting sporting activities in different parts of Lagos so that we can get younger ones that will be coming behind and after you so that Nigeria can get back her glory; the glory of 1996 when we won the Atlanta Olympic Gold Medal in the football event. It was a glorious time for some of us.

“We have here, Patrick Pascal (Super Eagles team coordinator), who was part of the team that won the gold medal in Atlanta 96. Surprisingly, what we promised him as a nation has not been fulfilled, but Lagos will fulfill that today. Patrick will get a three-bedroom flat in Prince Abiodun Ogunleye Housing Estate, which I commissioned today (Wednesday).

“Sports is a unifier for all of us. Sports is a detribalised means of identification. Sports speaks no language, it speaks no tradition, it speaks no religion. It is something that usually heals our country. Even when things are down, when we have security issues and all sorts of negative things in the country, you can use sports and football to heal that wound for us. And it is on that note that I want to charge you, encourage and appeal to you to do everything you can to win the matches.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his administration would build a stadium in Igbogbo and Agboyi-Ketu parts of Lagos, added that his administration will support all the local teams in the State with necessary infrastructure they need to boost sporting activities.

Speaking earlier, Rohr commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for his support for the team and for putting the necessary infrastructure in place at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere for next Tuesday match.

He assured the governor that his team will win the two matches.

Also speaking, captain of the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa said the best they can do is to defeat Benin Republic in Porto Novo on Saturday and also win the match against Lesotho in Lagos on Tuesday.

“You are a man of the people. On behalf of myself and my team mates, we thank you. You are a man that promises and fulfills them. The best we can give you is to win the game.

“I think Benin Republic have not lost since 2013 in their home. We will break that by the grace of God and come to Lagos and do our best to win the game against Lesotho,” he said.

Musa later presented Super Eagles jerseys to Governor Sanwo-Olu and First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu.

L-R: First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs) ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and her husband, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, being presented with National football team jersey by Super Eagles team captain, Ahmed Musa during Governor’s meeting with the Senior National football team, at Lagos House, Marina, on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.

L-R: Super Eagles players, Leon Balogun; Henry Onyekuru; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Commissioner for Youth & Social Development, Mr. Segun Dawodu and the President, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Amaju Pinnick, during Governor’s meeting with the Senior National football team, at Lagos House, Marina, on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.

L-R: President, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Amaju Pinnick, watches as First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs) ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and her husband, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, being presented with National football team jersey by Super Eagles team captain, Ahmed Musa during Governor’s meeting with the Senior National football team, at Lagos House, Marina, on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.With them: Commissioner for Youth & Social Development, Mr. Segun Dawodu and Chairman, Lagos State Sport Commission (LSSC), Mr. Sola Aiyepeku.

from fourth left: President, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Amaju Pinnick; First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs) ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Super Eagles team captain, Ahmed Musa; NFF first Vice President, Mr. Seyi Akinwunmi; Head Coach, Gernot Rohr and the Super Eagles players, during Governor’s meeting with the Senior National football team, at Lagos House, Marina, on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.

The National Basketball Association (NBA)  today named Victor Williams CEO of NBA Africa, effective Aug. 17, 2020, it was announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Williams, an accomplished investment banking executive with extensive experience growing businesses across the U.S. and Africa, will be based in the league’s Johannesburg office and report to NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum.

In this newly-created role, Williams will oversee the league’s basketball and business development initiatives in Africa and will be responsible for continuing to grow the popularity of basketball and the NBA across the continent through grassroots development, media distribution, corporate partnerships, and more.

For the last five years, Williams served as the Executive Head of Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB), Africa Regions for Standard Bank Group, where he oversaw the strategy, execution and financial performance for Standard Bank’s business with corporate, sovereign and institutional investor clients in 19 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. In this pan-continental role, Williams was responsible for growing a wide range of business lines across Africa, including global markets, investment banking and transactional products and services, and helped lead Standard Bank’s expansion into Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

“Adding an executive of Victor’s caliber and experience is an important step in our continued efforts to grow basketball across the continent,” said Silver. “We look forward to Victor leading NBA Africa’s operations and helping to accelerate the use of sports as an economic engine across Africa.”

“Becoming CEO of NBA Africa is a compelling opportunity to join the NBA – a widely-respected and admired, globally-oriented sports enterprise,” said Williams. “It allows me to blend my professional experience building businesses in Africa with my passion for the sport of basketball. I look forward to working with our colleagues in Johannesburg and Dakar to help grow basketball’s commercial and social impact in Africa and on the world stage.”

Williams joined Standard Bank in 2011 as Head of Corporate and Investment Banking for East Africa and subsequently led Standard Bank’s Corporate and Investment banking business in Nigeria.

Previously, he worked at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was a Managing Director focused on mergers and acquisitions. In this role, he executed more than $5 billion in merger and acquisition transactions and advised senior executives and boards of directors of corporate and private equity firms on mergers, divestitures, acquisitions, joint ventures, recapitalizations and corporate defense.

Prior to Wells Fargo Securities, Williams was Vice President of Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs in New York City, where he provided strategic guidance to Fortune 500 companies in all aspects of merger and financing analysis and execution.

Williams, a dual citizen of Sierra Leone and the U.S., holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and bachelor’s degrees in applied math and economics from Brown University. He is a member of Harvard Business School’s Africa Advisory Board and has also served on the boards of publicly-listed companies and non-profit organizations in the U.S., Nigeria and Kenya.