Oba Abdulkabi Adewale Shotobi, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu Kingdom, on Thursday, September 17, 2026, unveiled the 2026 Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi Independence Day Mini Marathon at the Conference Hall of the Ayangburen Palace, Ikorodu.

The unveiling marked the official presentation of the seventh edition of the 10-kilometre race, scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 1, 2026, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s Independence Day.

In his remarks, Oba Shotobi appreciated the Onward Movement and Ikorodu Oga Development Association (IKODASS), the organizing committee and other stakeholders for their efforts towards sustaining the mini marathon.

The monarch particularly commended Hon. S.O.B. Agunbiade, the initiator, convener and executor of the initiative, for his commitment to youth and sports development.

Oba Shotobi emphasized the importance of identifying and nurturing young talents from an early age, noting that some talents from Ikorodu have gone on to gain recognition beyond the community and on international platforms.

He called on individuals, entrepreneurs, organizations and other stakeholders to support the initiative through sponsorship, financial contributions and prayers, while pledging his continued support. He also urged the media to properly project the objectives of the competition.

In his welcome address, Chairman of IKODASS, Alhaji Kolawole Fatai Olayiwola, described the mini marathon as an initiative aimed at promoting healthy living, youth development, talent discovery, unity and community engagement. He appreciated Hon. S.O.B. Agunbiade, the Onward Movement of Nigeria and other stakeholders for their contributions to the initiative.

Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Mr. Bello A.O., explained that the Independence Day Mini Marathon was conceived in 2016 by Hon. S.O.B. Agunbiade to celebrate Nigeria’s Independence through sports and promote healthy sporting competition among public and private secondary schools across the Ikorodu Division.

He noted that the competition was renamed in 2017 in honour of Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi in recognition of the monarch’s support for sports and youth development.

According to him, the first six editions were organized by the Onward Movement of Nigeria and sponsored by Hon. S.O.B. Agunbiade. The competition has provided opportunities for young athletes to discover and develop their talents, with some progressing to compete at local, state, national and international levels.

The 2026 edition is being jointly organized by the Onward Movement of Nigeria and IKODASS.

Athletes’ registration runs from September 14 to 18, 2026, while the list of shortlisted athletes for medical screening will be published on September 21.

Medical fitness screening is scheduled for September 23–25, followed by the publication of the final list of qualified athletes on September 28.

Race route familiarization will take place on Tuesday, September 29, at 4:00 p.m. at the Ayangburen Palace.

The main 10-kilometre race will take place on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 7:00 a.m., starting from the Ayangburen Palace and finishing at Ikorodu Town Hall.

In his vote of thanks, Prince Olukoga Akeem, a former member of the Sports Commission, recalled Ikorodu’s strong sporting heritage, particularly during the 1980s when athletes from the division represented Lagos State in disciplines including swimming and hockey.

He expressed concern over the decline of some sporting activities and called for renewed investment and sponsorship to revive sports across the Ikorodu Division. He also appealed to the various local governments in the division to collaborate towards establishing a coordinated structure for sports development.

The event ended with calls for collective support for youth development, talent discovery, healthy living and the revival of Ikorodu’s sporting heritage through the 2026 mini marathon.