The Lagos State Archery in Schools Sports Development Programme expanded to Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area on Tuesday, as students at Tolu Schools Complex in Ajegunle participated in the fifth activation of the statewide initiative.
Programme Expansion
The programme, organised by the Lagos State Archery Association through the Lagos State School Sports Association and powered by the Zen Archery Sports Foundation, is part of a nine-day rollout aimed at introducing archery to secondary schools across Lagos. Ajegunle, long regarded as one of Lagos’ established sporting communities with a history of producing athletes in football, boxing and athletics, became the latest stop in the programme’s expansion across the state.
Founder of Zen Archery Sports Foundation, Emmanuel Oyeleke, said the initiative was designed to widen access to structured sports development across communities. “Ajegunle has given Nigeria some of its finest athletes. We are not bringing archery here as something new or foreign — we are giving another opportunity to a community that already knows how to produce champions. Babs Fafunwa tomorrow is equally important: Education District 6 is home to thousands of students who deserve access to this pathway. Every school we reach is another community in the pipeline,” he said.
Training Sessions
Tuesday’s session at Tolu Schools Complex featured safety briefings and range setup conducted to World Archery standards, alongside demonstrations on equipment handling, stance, anchor, aim and release. Students also participated in supervised practical sessions, while sports masters underwent instructor-development training. Organisers said the technical delivery of the programme had improved through previous activations held in different parts of Lagos, with faster range setup, more coordinated demonstrations and increased involvement of trained sports masters.
Next Stop: Babs Fafunwa Millennium School
The programme is scheduled to move to Babs Fafunwa Millennium School on Wednesday for its sixth activation in Education District 6. Named after former Federal Minister of Education, Babatunde Fafunwa, the school is expected to host students and sports masters from the Ojodu Berger axis as the programme extends into the Obafemi Awolowo Way corridor. Organisers said sports masters trained during the sessions would form part of an instructor network expected to sustain coaching activities in participating schools after the activations conclude.
Community Reach
Since its launch on May 12, the programme has reached schools in Agege, Bariga, Ikoyi, Surulere, Ajegunle and Ojodu Berger, covering communities across Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island and outer districts. According to the organisers, students identified during the activations will form the first pool of athletes expected to prepare for the South-West Nigeria U-21 Archery Camp and Championship.
