At the ongoing National Sports Festival tagged Gateway Games in Ogun State, Tobex Media caught up with the Secretary General of the Nigeria International Athletes Association (NIAA), Mr. Luke Abidemi Lawal, who shared valuable insights on the organization’s mission, challenges, and achievements over the past 25 years.
Lawal, who has served as the Secretary General for two decades, revealed that the NIAA is a US-based non-governmental organization founded by ex-Nigerian international athletes. “We formed the NIAA because we were dissatisfied with Nigeria’s performance on the global stage,” he stated. “So we came together to raise funds, create awareness, and support grassroots athletics in Nigeria through scholarships, equipment donations, and logistical support.”
Since its inception, the NIAA has impacted over 1,700 Nigerian youths, offering them scholarships, housing, and transportation to the United States. “We’ve also donated equipment sourced from various US organizations to grassroots programs in Nigeria,” Lawal added.
The association has reached athletes in five states—Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Lagos, and Ogun—despite limited resources. “We go where we have members on the ground,” he explained. “Sometimes we lack funds, but we push forward with what we have. The goal now is to target more populous states to maximize our outreach.”
Membership in the NIAA is reserved for athletes who have represented their state, university, or the country. “Most of our founders are former track and field athletes,” Lawal noted. “But we also have journalists among our members.”
Despite their extensive efforts, Lawal lamented the lack of significant support from the National Sports Commission. “We’ve received more cooperation from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN),” he said. “They’ve helped us offer scholarships to top performers in various athletic events at the National Sports Festival. But ideally, we wouldn’t want to jump through hoops to get support, especially during major events like this festival.”
As the Gateway Games continue, the NIAA’s presence has proven beyond reasonable doubt that a dedicated community of former athletes can achieve, even in the face of bureaucratic and financial challenges.
