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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Sunday, received the English Premier League Trophy, saying his administration will continue to use sports as a means of engagement, social inclusion and change agent.

The trophy was officially presented to Governor Sanwo-Olu by the Managing Director/CEO of Guinness Nigeria PLC, Mr. Girish Sharma, at the Lagos House, Marina.

In a related development, the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, when a team of Guinness Nigeria’s management weekend showcased the English Premier League, EPL, trophy, to him at Government House, Enugu.

Mbah expressed his eagerness to partner Guinness Nigeria PLC to accelerate his administration’s sports development effort, describing the state as the home of sporting legends, who have ruled the world of sports as well as home of abundant talents for the future.

Meanwhile, speaking during the ceremony, Governor Sanwo-Olu said that bringing the Premier League Trophy to Lagos showed that “there is something positive about our followership, enthusiasm, and the development of sports in our country, but more importantly in Lagos.”

He said: “We are excited that Guinness identifies with us by bringing the Premier League Trophy to Lagos. It is a trophy that everybody believes is inspirational. It is about using sports as a change agent.

“It is about using sports as a way of connecting to the youth demographic that we have. It is about using sports as a weapon to be able to identify the skills, capacity and capability of our young people. It is about using sports as a strong connection to be socially responsible citizens and individuals and to use it as a means of engagement.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who earlier received Sharma and his team during a courtesy call at Lagos House, Marina, said his administration will continue to make Lagos hospitable and habitable for businesses to thrive.

He said: “We are indeed happy with what the brand (Guinness Nigeria PLC) has done, especially in sports and other socially responsible areas of endeavours.

“We are indeed happy and excited that it is one of those companies and brands that stayed in Lagos and has grown out of Lagos to other parts of the country and other parts of West Africa. So, we are happy that we continue to make Lagos home to it.

“One of the things that I am going to throw back to you is to see how some of the teams, during their summer break, can come around for two or three days.

“We don’t bite people, we don’t eat people, we are just fans. We just want to hug them and take a selfie with them. We want the teams to come and see millions of their fans and identify with the country and the state.

“We want to assure you that we will continue to make Lagos hospitable and habitable for businesses to do well and thrive. We will continue to make the environment worthwhile for every corporate organisation, because we know that it is by doing that that we can develop the economy, we can grow, and people can see a better life for one another.”

Speaking earlier, the Managing Director/CEO of Guinness Nigeria PLC, Mr. Girish Sharma, commended Governor Sanwo-Olu and his team for the good things they are doing in Lagos State.

Sharma, who disclosed that Guinness Nigeria is 75 years old, restated his organisation’s commitment to Lagos State.

He said bringing the Premier League Trophy to Lagos will give football fans across the state the opportunity to pose with the trophy is a great feat.

“I am very pleased to be here today to present the Premier League Trophy to football fans and give them the opportunity to stand next to the trophy.

“We make sure the trophy comes to Nigeria because this is one of the largest sporting nations. So, there is no way this trophy cannot be presented to the Nigerians for them to feel it,” he said.

Sharma said his organisation is honoured to be part of Nigeria, noting that the establishment of Guinness in Nigeria show how important is the country and therefore urged Nigerians to believe in Nigeria’s potential as a country.

Meanwhile, it is recalled that Guinness Nigeria and the Premier League partnered to bring the iconic silverware for display in Enugu on Friday, May 16 and in Lagos on Saturday May 17 and Sunday, 18 to give EPL’s teeming fans in Nigeria the rare opportunity to experience the trophy.

Speaking during the presentation of the trophy at the Lion Building, Enugu State Government House, Mbah noted that beside putting in place legislative frameworks for sports development, his administration was also embarking on a massive reconstruction of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium and Awgu Games Village preparatory to hosting the 2026 edition of the National Sports Festival.  

“Like Guinness, we regard sports as a positive force in Enugu. We are not surprised that the Guinness flagship event is being held here in Enugu. Just like Guinness, we also see sports as a platform to foster social cohesion. We are not just paying lip service to sports; we actually have our skin in the game. 

“We believe that the EPL is quite a spectacle with audiences across the world and you couldn’t have chosen a better city for the flagship event than Enugu. 

“Again, since here is the home of Rangers and since we have also recognised that this is where it all happens, let us begin to think about more collaboration with Guinness to see how we can secure endorsement with the Guinness corporate brand. This should be on the table because Rangers also won the 2023/2024 Nigerian Premier League title.

“We are just about giving the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium and Awgu Games Village a new lease of life, making sure they meet FIFA and World Athletics standards ahead of the National Sports Festival. So, we look forward to more strategic collaboration with Guinness. We are quite a business-friendly state,” he stated.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation and the Corporate Relations Director at Guinness Nigeria PLC, Rotimi Odusola, described Enugu State as the spiritual home of sports in Nigeria, noting the exploits of Rangers.

He said it was only natural to choose Enugu for the display of the EPL silverware, given its history and the great job Governor Mbah had done in repositioning the state.

“Some may wonder why Enugu. There is a reason for us to choose Enugu as the first place in Nigeria since this trophy arrived yesterday. It is because we know that Enugu State is the spiritual home of football in Nigeria. As a young football lover, I can’t forget all of the stories around Enugu Rangers football team. 

“I want to also appreciate you for the work you are doing. The last time I was in Enugu was in 2022 and I have seen remarkable improvements in Enugu State since my last visit. 

“This presentation of the EPL trophy is an opportunity for us to reinforce Guinness Nigeria being a business that has been intricate in the fabric of Nigeria for 75 years. We also want to use this opportunity to create magical moments for our consumers and members of the public through the collaboration between Guinness globally and the English Premier League,” he added.

The event was witnessed by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Enugu State, Barr. Lloyd Ekweremadu;  Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke; Director, Marketing and Innovations, Guinness Nigeria, Yinka Bakare; Director, Corporate Relations, Guinness Nigeria, Rotimi Odusola; Head of Marketing, Guinness Nigeria, Ramanathan Sollayepan; Head of Division, South-East Region, Guinness Nigeria, Adesoji Opeyemi; General Manager, Rangers International Football Club of Enugu, Barr. Amobi Ezeaku; and the Chairman, Enugu State Football Association, Barr. Tony Ugwu, among others.