Araoye: Ikogosi Race Demonstrates Power of Sports in Stimulating Local Economies 

The 2026 Ikogosi 17.5km Road Race has demonstrated the capacity of sporting events to stimulate local economies, promote tourism and create employment opportunities, its initiator, Makinde Araoye, has said.

Araoye said the race, which attracted more than 8,000 participants from 28 Nigerian states and three African countries, had generated significant economic activities across host communities and other parts of Ekiti State.

The fourth edition, held on October 31, attracted athletes and visitors from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Ethiopia, boosting demand for hospitality, transportation, food and other services.

Hotels monitored by the organisers in Ikogosi-Ekiti, neighbouring Ilawe-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti recorded full occupancy during the race weekend.

Local farmers supplied fruits, including oranges, watermelons and bananas, while food vendors and transport operators benefited from increased patronage. The event also engaged 200 paid volunteers and contracted local businesses for logistics, event production, photography and other services.

Ekiti-based vendors produced 8,000 running vests and 8,000 numbered race bibs, further extending the economic benefits to local enterprises.

Araoye, founder of the Ikogosi Marathon Initiative, said the vision behind the race, established in 2014, was to use sports as a platform for tourism development and sustainable economic opportunities.

He explained that every hotel booking, local supplier engagement, farmer contracted and young person employed represented the broader economic value of the initiative.

The 2026 edition featured a N30 million prize purse, with the male and female winners receiving N2 million each. Forty Ekiti indigenes also received cash prizes.

The organisers disclosed that approximately N550 million had been invested in sporting events since the initiative began, with funding provided exclusively by the MKD Araoye Foundation.

With plans underway for an international edition in 2027, Araoye called for stronger government support and increased private-sector investment to expand the event and strengthen Ekiti State’s position as a sports tourism destination.