The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Cornelius Oyefolu Ojelabi, has called on residents of Badagry Division to embrace unity and collective effort as a pathway to sustainable development across the division.

Ojelabi gave the charge at the grand finale of the maiden edition of the Ojelabi Football Competition, a grassroots football tournament he personally sponsored to promote youth development, peace, and talent discovery within Badagry Division. He assured residents that the competition would become a regular sporting programme.

The tournament, officially tagged “Ojelabi Football Competition – Badagry Division,” featured 74 teams drawn from 10 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) across the division.

The competition came to a close last Saturday at the Lagos State University (LASU) playing field, where Sporting Hotspurs of Ajeromi-Ifelodun defeated LASU Blazers of Ojo by 2–0 to emerge champions. After a goalless first half, Sporting Hotspurs scored two well-taken goals in the second half to seal victory, carting home the trophy and a cash prize of ₦1 million.

LASU Blazers were rewarded with ₦750,000 for finishing second. In the third-place match, Abiodun Kings of Ato-Awori edged New Era of Badagry 1–0 to claim the bronze medal and a cash reward of ₦500,000.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Ojelabi described the competition as a deliberate effort to contribute to football development and youth empowerment in Badagry Division.
“The major objectives of initiating this competition were to promote inter-ethnic unity and harmony, identify and reward outstanding talents, and engender peace within Badagry Division, which has produced national football icons such as Sunday Olise and Emmanuel Amunike,” he said.

He expressed satisfaction with the conduct of teams and supporters throughout the tournament, noting that no incident of violence or disruption was recorded from the opening ceremony on November 15, 2025, held at LASUED, to the final match.

Ojelabi further revealed that 86 matches were played up to the semi-final stage without a single formal protest, commending the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for professionalism and effective coordination. He also praised players, coaches, security personnel, medical teams, match officials, the media, and supporters for ensuring a peaceful and colourful competition.

The closing ceremony featured the presentation of special awards, including Most Valuable Player, Highest Goal Scorer, Best Goalkeeper, and Best-Behaved Team, among others. It was also observed that football scouts and coaches from top clubs attended several matches to identify promising talents.