Over 270 Gymnasts Set for Third Edition of Lagos Gymfest

Rafa Corporation, the company behind the rapidly growing Rafa Detergents brand, has signed a three-year shirt sponsorship agreement with Kano Pillars Football Club.

The third edition of the GYMFEST Championship will take place in Lagos on November 7, featuring 278 young gymnasts.

According to the organisers during a media parley at the SPAN headquarters in Ikoyi, the event is aim to develop grassroots talent and boost Nigeria’s international standing in the sport, is organised by the Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club (TTGC) in partnership with the Society of the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN).

The championship will run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The Dome, located at 1 Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1.

Participation has grown from fewer than 100 children at the inaugural event to 278 registered athletes this year. Yoyin Akpose, co-convener of the championship and founder of TTGC, noted that capacity limits forced organisers to turn away some interested schools.

“It’s encouraging to see that parents are interested now and the community keeps growing,” Akpose stated. She added that her commitment to grassroots development was reinforced after seeing limited West African representation at an international competition the previous week.

The competition is designed to build technical capacity while fostering confidence, discipline, and teamwork in participants.

Chief Operating Officer of SPAN, Oluremi Jemitola, stated that the three-year partnership with TTGC aligns with a long-term vision to establish the event as Africa’s leading gymnastics festival with global recognition.

The initiative has received endorsement from the Lagos State Sports Commission, LSSC.

The commission’s director of school sports, Oluyomi Olusanmi, who represented the Diector General, LSSC, Lekan Fatodu, highlighted that the event aligns with the state’s youth engagement agenda, using sports to promote cognitive development and mitigate social challenges like truancy.

The championship is supported by financial partners, including diamond partner Providus Unity Bank, alongside: Banksome Group, Leadway Assurance, YD Company, Studio24,

Indomie, Gratia Chin Chin.

The event will also feature a dedicated children’s play area and the GYMFEST Souk, a marketplace for vendors selling food, clothing, and gymnastics attire.