Adeola disclosed this on Friday during a courtesy visit to the Ogun State Council of the NUJ at the Iwe Iroyin Press Centre, Abeokuta,
He recalled the glory days of the Abiola Babes of Ogun State, said the state currently lacked a football club capable of representing it competitively and providing a platform for young talents to showcase their abilities.
He said, “In the days, we have football club, the Abiola Babes of Ogun State, and some others, but today there is no club that is fighting for us on the football field. I plan to bring it back.”
According to him, the proposed football club would not only represent Ogun State but also serve as a talent-hunting platform for young people with potential in football.
“I plan to have a football club that will drive and showcase Ogun State and will enable talent hunt for our children who are willing and ready,” he said.
The APC candidate also disclosed plans to introduce the Governor’s Cup, an annual football competition involving teams across the state, which he said would provide a sustainable platform for identifying promising players.
“I’m going to introduce what you call the Governor’s Cup, where all teams across the divide will continue to play every year, year in, year out. So that we can use that as a veritable source for talent hunt,” Yayi said.
He expressed concern over Ogun State’s performance at the last sports festival, particularly the loss of title to Delta State, saying the development indicated the need for renewed attention to sports development.
“I’m not happy, like the last game festival, when Delta State came here and took away the cup from us. That shows something is wrong somewhere,” he said.
Yayi pledged to address the identified gaps and institutionalise an annual state sports festival to strengthen grassroots sports development and create more opportunities for young athletes.
“So I’m ready to correct that and make sure the Ogun State Annual Sports Festival is a yearly event, so that we can achieve more talent hunt in that particular area,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Senator also said his administration would also pay attention to the welfare, safety, and professional development of journalists, stressing that the media remained a critical institution in promoting accountability and good governance.
Adeola further promised to support the transformation of the Ogun State Television (OGTV) and Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC) into standard public media organisations capable of competing with established national television stations such as Channels Television, Arise News, TVC and other leading broadcast platforms.
He said the state-owned media organisations should be properly equipped, professionally positioned, and given the necessary support to operate as credible and competitive media institutions.
The APC candidate described his policy programme as a covenant with the people of Ogun State, urging journalists to hold him accountable to his promises if he wins the 2027 governorship election.
“I stand before you not as a politician reciting promises, but as a son of Ogun State bringing you a covenant, a plan I intend to be held accountable to, page by page, project by project,” Adeola said.
Speaking on the importance of the media, the governorship candidate said his decision to commence his statewide engagements with journalists was deliberate, given the constitutional role of the Fourth Estate in the electoral process.
He commended Ogun journalists for their contributions to the development of the state and promised to maintain an open-door relationship with the media, including regular press briefings and compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.
Earlier, the Chairman of the NUJ, Ogun State Council, Comrade Wale Olarenwaju, rolled out some of the achievements and projects recorded by the council under his leadership in the last three years.
Olarenwaju highlighted the initiatives and projects executed, saying the council had continued to strengthen its structures, improve the working environment for journalists, and advance the welfare and professional development of its members.
He said the achievements were made possible through the cooperation of NUJ members, media organisations, and other stakeholders, adding that the council remained committed to building on the progress recorded over the three-year period.
The NUJ chairman, however, said there was still a need for stronger intervention in areas directly affecting the welfare and living conditions of journalists in the state.
Olarenwaju called for the establishment of a dedicated journalists’ estate in Ogun State to address the housing needs of media practitioners and provide them with access to affordable accommodation.
He appealed to Adeola to include the media community in his development plans, particularly in the areas of welfare, housing, capacity building, safety, and infrastructure.
Olarenwaju also highlighted the need for stronger support for the NUJ’s permanent site, noting that a befitting secretariat and professional facilities would enhance the union’s capacity to serve journalists and contribute to the development of the profession.
In recognition of Adeola’s relationship with the media community and his expressed commitment to journalists, the NUJ Ogun State Council decorated him as Golden Jubilee ambassador of the Ogun State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists to mark the union 50th years anniversary.
Responding to the issues raised by the union, Adeola reiterated his commitment to supporting journalists and promised that the N50 million initial funding for the NUJ permanent site would serve as a take-off contribution towards the project.
He also promised that the new NUJ bus would be provided to facilitate the union’s activities and improve its mobility.
Beyond the media sector, Adeola unveiled a nine-point development agenda covering infrastructure, job creation, agriculture, healthcare, education, industrialisation, security, tourism, and institutional reforms.
He proposed an Ogun State Bus Mass Transit Programme on major routes, including the Abeokuta-Sango-Ota-Sagamu corridor, while also promising to explore commuter rail connections between Abeokuta, Lagos and industrial corridors.
On employment and youth development, Adeola promised to train 100,000 young people in digital skills by 2031 and establish a Youth Enterprise Hub in Abeokuta, with satellite hubs across the state and access to microcredit for young entrepreneurs.
He also proposed reforms in agriculture, healthcare, education, waste management, security, and the civil service while promising to strengthen local government administration and improve the state’s revenue mobilisation system.
Adeola said Ogun’s proximity to Lagos, neighbouring states, the Atlantic Ocean and the Republic of Benin placed it in a strategic position to benefit from industrialisation, trade, tourism and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
On governance, he pledged to make his administration’s programmes measurable, with government agencies assigned performance targets and regular public reporting.
He urged journalists not only to report his promises but also to monitor their implementation if he is elected governor.
“I do not come to you asking you to believe me. I come asking you to hold me to this manifesto, line by line, project by project,” he said.
