Emmanuel lkpeama
Hundreds of professional skaters from Lagos State and beyond gathered at the National Stadium, Surulere, on Saturday, May 30, 2026, for the third edition of Skate Lagos, a grassroots sports initiative aimed at discovering, developing and empowering young talents through skating.
The annual competition, themed “Rolling Into The Future,” was organized by the Lagos State Government through the Office of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Grassroots Sports Development, Mr. Adebanji Atewogboye, popularly known as SKIBANJ, in line with the THEMES Plus Agenda of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.
Participants competed for honours and a total prize pool of ₦2 million across various categories, highlighting the government’s commitment to supporting youth development and creating opportunities for talented skaters.
This year’s edition recorded a major boost as Just Used Tech, a Lagos-based sports technology company, donated 25 pairs of professional skate boots to outstanding grassroots skaters identified during the competition, further strengthening efforts to nurture emerging talents.
Speaking during the event, Atewogboye said Skate Lagos was established to transform skating from a street activity into a structured and rewarding sporting profession.
“We started this event to identify talent and take them off the streets in order to promote, develop and empower them as the next generation of sports stars in Lagos,” he said.
He urged skaters to view the sport as a viable career path and desist from the dangerous practice of holding onto moving vehicles while skating.
“Skating is a sport and a platform to become employable. I would advise skaters to train themselves to become professional skate coaches or promoters instead of hanging onto moving vehicles,” he added.
The Chairman of the Lagos State Roller Sports Association, Mr. Philips Olatubosun Oyede, commended Governor Sanwo-Olu and Atewogboye for sustaining the initiative over the past three years and improving its quality with each edition.
He also called on corporate organizations to invest in skating development just as they do in football, while appealing to the state government to formally incorporate skating into the Lagos State Sports Commission.
Investigator news reports that winners emerged across several categories, including slalom, sprint races and free jump events for male and female competitors, sharing the ₦2 million prize money.
The competition once again demonstrated the Lagos State Government’s resolve to support grassroots sports, create opportunities for young people and provide a pathway for talented athletes to achieve professional success.
With increased participation, improved rewards and stronger private-sector collaboration, Skate Lagos 3.0 has further positioned itself as a key platform for discovering and nurturing the next generation of skating champions in the state.
Investigator news gathered that the N2 million prize was shared across 4 categories, which included;
SLALOM – FEMALES
Hauwau Idis – ₦100,000
Beatrice – ₦50,000
Kareem Fatima – ₦25,000
SLALOM – MALES
Habeeb – ₦100,000
Sanni Musa – ₦50,000
Lukeman – ₦25,000
100M FEMALES – JUNIOR
Olusanjo Esther – ₦125,000
Babatunde Esther – ₦50,000
Onitiminen Kosisochukwu – ₦25,000
100M MALES – JUNIOR
Williams Michael – ₦125,000
Okezie Festus – ₦50,000
Messiah Samuel – ₦25,000
200M FEMALES
Iganga Deborah – ₦250,000
Fatima Kareem – ₦150,000
Omidaoye Islamiyat – ₦50,000
500M MALES
Oke Itunu Joseph – ₦250,000
Abdulazeez Habeeb – ₦150,000
Babola – ₦50,000
FREE JUMP – FEMALES
Iganga Deborah – ₦100,000
Neemah Hazeem – ₦50,000
Aminola Kolawole – ₦25,000
FREE JUMP – MALES
George Bravo – ₦100,000
Emmanuel Smart- ₦50,000
Favor Kadejo – ₦25,000
Additional prizes
₦20,000 EACH
° Taiwo Abaze – ₦20,000
° Lawal Kitan – ₦20,000
° Onibimren Ayodoluwa – ₦20,000
° Vivaan Sahil –
₦20,000
° Chinedu Offor – ₦20,000
° Marteen Islam – ₦20,000