Chairman of the Lagos State Gymnastics Association and board member of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria, Omowunmi Olalere, has said the newly launched Olympic City project will help address Lagos’ housing deficit while advancing sports development in the country.

Olalere, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Numero Global Resources, disclosed this in an interview with The Guardian, describing the initiative as a first-of-its-kind mixed-use development combining residential living with sporting facilities.

According to her, the land earmarked for the project was allocated to the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) about three decades ago for sporting development.

“The Olympic City project is a flagship development that has just been launched. The land was allocated to the Nigerian Olympic Committee about 30 years ago for sporting development and other activities,” she said.

She explained that the project, being developed in partnership with Olympic Africa, would feature facilities such as tennis courts, football pitches and volleyball courts for community use, alongside residential apartments.

“The remaining part of the land has been earmarked for residential purposes. So we have a mixed-use development on the project,” Olalere stated.

She added that the residential component would comprise two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four-bedroom apartments occupying about four hectares of land and covering approximately 40 per cent of the Olympic City site in Lagos.

“We are excited about this project because it will help address the housing deficit in Lagos while also forming a mixed lifestyle, luxury real estate development — a combination of sporting facilities and residential living. It is truly one of a kind in Lagos and in Nigeria,” she added.

Speaking on her involvement in sports development, Olalere said she had participated in grassroots sports and para-sports initiatives for several years before shifting greater focus to gymnastics.

“For a very long time, I have been part of sports activities. I love sports deeply,” she said.

She noted that her interest in gymnastics grew through her children’s participation in the sport at school, stressing that Nigeria possesses abundant untapped talent in gymnastics.

“I realised it is suffering in this country. We have so many undiscovered talents, and I believe that if the right person channels the right resources into the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria, there is a great deal we can achieve on the world stage,” she said.

Olalere identified inadequate coaching personnel and shortage of judges as major setbacks affecting gymnastics development in Nigeria.

“We have the athletes — the children are there, but we do not have enough coaches or judges to take care of them,” she stated.

She advocated training physical education teachers through FIG certification programmes to increase the number of qualified gymnastics coaches across the country.

On the financing structure of the Olympic City project, Olalere explained that it is being executed through a public-private partnership arrangement involving Numero Homes and Alpha Co Ltd.

“The Nigerian Olympic Committee, as a government institution, cannot do everything alone. So, Numero Homes, in partnership with Alpha Co Ltd, is stepping in as a private institution to help,” she said.

According to her, part of the development would be sold to investors, while the NOC would retain athlete hostel accommodation for sporting purposes.

Olalere disclosed that the project is expected to be completed within 24 months.

“We have already moved to the site to begin preparations. We will ensure all necessary contractors are put in place and do everything we can to deliver within that timeframe,” she said.

She, however, identified poor road infrastructure leading to the site as a major challenge confronting the project.

“The road and the Olympic City Street leading to the site are in very poor condition at the moment, which makes it difficult to get materials to the site,” she said, calling for government intervention.

Olalere also expressed willingness to collaborate with other sports federations on similar real estate and infrastructure projects.

“If Numero Homes is approached by any other federation for a related transaction in real estate, we would gladly do it,” she said.

On balancing business, family and sports administration, she attributed her ability to manage multiple responsibilities to effective delegation and organisational structure.

“The essence of building a business is not to run it alone in perpetuity. It is to create a platform for other people to grow, learn, and be part of what you have built,” she stated.

Speaking on her ambition to become president of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria, Olalere said her decision was driven by a desire to reposition the sport.

“Looking at how the preparation and management of the sport have been handled in the past, and knowing what it could be, I felt compelled to take a more decisive role,” she said.

She also decried delays in the federation’s electoral process, alleging that disputes surrounding a previous election had stalled progress and affected athletes’ participation in competitions.

“The athletes have been denied various sporting activities because we do not have a properly constituted federation,” she said.

Olalere appealed to the Nigerian Sports Commission to urgently intervene in the affairs of gymnastics administration in the country.

“These are children, and before long, they will have grown past their prime years. They need to be competing, locally and internationally, so they can develop their talent,” she added.

On women’s participation in sports administration, Olalere said the sector was becoming increasingly inclusive, noting that more women recently contested leadership positions in sports federations.

“We really cannot say the sports society is hostile to women — the question is whether women are making themselves available and showing up,” she said.

She, however, stressed the need to encourage greater participation by younger women in sports administration through awareness and mentorship initiatives.