Athletes  that represented Lagos State at the 22nd National Sports Festival – Gateway Games have begun receiving their cash rewards, following the release of N36.3m approved by the Lagos State Government for medal winners at the games held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, in May 2025.

Several athletes confirmed that payments had started hitting their accounts, days after the Lagos State Sports Commission announced that the rewards for medals won at the festival had been cleared by the state government.

Team Lagos finished sixth overall at the Gateway Games, winning a total of 169 medals made up of 38 gold, 43 silver and 88 bronze.

Breakdown of the incentive structure showed that 32 individual gold medallists received N300,000 each, while five gold medallists in doubles events were also paid N300,000 apiece. A gold medal won in a team event attracted N700,000, shared among the athletes involved.

Individual and doubles silver medallists earned N200,000 each, while silver-winning teams shared N500,000. Bronze medallists in individual and doubles events received N150,000 each, while bronze-winning teams were awarded N350,000.

“We started receiving the payments last Friday after we were informed that the funds had been approved,” one of the athletes said on condition of anonymity.

The development comes weeks after Lagos State junior athletes recorded a historic outing at the 2025 National Youth Games in Asaba, where they dethroned hosts Delta State for the first time in the history of the competition. Team Lagos topped the medals table with 110 medals, comprising 52 gold, 32 silver and 26 bronze.

That feat prompted Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to immediately reward the junior athletes, before extending the same gesture to the senior athletes who featured at the National Sports Festival.

Reacting to the development, Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, reaffirmed that the state’s commitment to athletes’ welfare is not a mere policy position.

“We have institutionalised transparency, accountability and dignity in athlete management. This includes the introduction of a digital athlete portal with biometric ID integration, which guarantees that stipends, insurance and welfare support reach the right athletes promptly and without intermediaries,” Fatodu stated.

“In addition, we have deployed a streamlined payment system that ensures allowances are paid directly to athletes at the appropriate time. We have also appointed an Athletes’ Liaison Officer, a former athlete and staff member of the Lagos State Sports Commission, who serves as a direct bridge between competitors and the commission, ensuring that athletes’ concerns are heard and addressed at the highest levels of decision-making.”

Looking ahead to the 2026 National Sports Festival scheduled for Enugu State, Fatodu said Lagos was determined to build on recent achievements.

“Our preparations are anchored on the Lagos excellence model. The effectiveness of this blueprint was recently validated by our historic performance at the 2025 National Youth Games,” he said.

“We remain deeply grateful to His Excellency, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, whose steadfast support has transformed reform ideas into measurable outcomes. As we look ahead to Enugu 2026, our objective is to replicate this developmental success at the senior level and further consolidate Lagos State’s position as Nigeria’s leading sporting powerhouse.”

The athletes also expressed confidence in surpassing their previous performances, noting that the commission had raised standards across board.

“Going by discussions between the athletes’ representatives and the management, we know we have to aim for the best, from the qualification stage to the games proper. There will be no more jamborees, especially in team sports. You have to earn your place at the festival, and we have all been working hard,” an athlete, Abass Khalid, who represented Lagos at the last sports festival stated.