The Lagos State Government and Premium Trust Bank have commended TotalEnergies Marketing Plc, a leading player in the downstream market of the nation’s oil and gas industry, for its sustained commitment to Nigeria’s youth empowerment, particularly in sports, and expressed their readiness to continue to partner the company in the collective drive to empower the youths for competitiveness in the global sports and games landscape.
Speaking at the TotalEnergies’ AFCON 2025 Trophy Tour dinner event organized in Lagos, the State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende, who spoke on sundry initiatives undertaken by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to promote sport development among the youths in the state, said there was the need for other companies to emulate TotalEnergies in order to translate the huge sporting potential of the youths to national benefits.
The commissioner commended the Falcons for their recent achievements, particularly for qualifying for the Canada tournament, promising that the state government will continue to do more to encourage Nigerian women in sports and games in view of the invaluable gains, especially in the career development of the youths and national socioeconomic gains.
Ogunlende said “We are happy to be here. When I was invited I feel very happy to be part of this magnificent event. So, for Total Energies, I just want to thank you very much for what you are doing. We need more of Total Energies in the Sporting industry.
“Just like he was saying talking about the girls, I am just coming from Canada, where the Nigerian Falcons are giving us the hope.
The first African team to make it to the tournament was our girls. With their participation in the tournament, it gives us hope that there is a lot of potential in our women and we shall continue to give them the needed support so that they can continue to represent us well in global tournaments”, the commissioner added.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director, Premium Trust Bank, Mr. Emmanuel Emefienim, expressed the bank management’s happiness in partnering Total Energies in development of sports in Nigeria and Africa in furtherance of bank’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) interventions across the broad spectrum of Nigeria’s socioeconomic space.
He enthused: “We are happy to be here, happy because TotalEnergies has been gracious in inviting us to be part of this event. I am excited that having seen this cup, we are positive that by the grace of God, this trophy will return home to Nigeria as winners at the end of the CAF tournament.
Now, I sat with the NFF President here and we have been discussing and deliberating on Nigerian football and the way forward.
“We as a bank felt proud to support the NFF and all of the national teams for the next four years. We have been on that since last year. So, we know what it entails to support the teams and it is part of our social responsibility, and investments that the returns may not come quickly.
It is part of the sacrifices we make to create platforms for our youths to express themselves in their chosen career.
“So, I thank TotalEnergies for putting this together, I thank you for your commitment towards Sports development in Africa and beyond. We will not relent, we will continue to support Nigerian football and we will continue to do what we can to support sports to ensure that our youth move to the next level and make us proud. I thank everyone here and together, we will work to see that Sports in our nation taken to the next level”, the banker added.
