I’m leaving Ikoyi Club better than I met it – Zibiri- Aliu

Outgoing Chairman of the prestigious Ikoyi Club 1938, Tafa Zibiri-Aliu says that he’s happy with the noble achievements he recorded while at the helm of affairs of the club just as he stated that the club will continue to encourage grassroots sports development.
He stated this during the send- forth party organised in his honour by members of the Club on Friday, February, 20, 2025.

The social cultural Club will be holding elections on the 27th of this month to elect new executive members that will pilot it’s affairs for the next two years and Zibiri-Aliu believes that the party put together on his behalf by members is evidence that they appreciated the good works he did while in office.

Giving his stewardship, the outgoing Chairman expressed happiness that the dilapidated road in front of the club was fixed during his tenure at no cost to the members.

” When I was running for the Chairmanship position in 2023, I did promise members during our Town Hall meeting that I was going to fix that road at no cost to the club.

” A lot of people doubted me with some asking how could that be possible since am not a government official but I told them I’ll use my connection to fix the road and by the special Grace of God, that road has been fixed.

” I must have to commend former Lagos State Governor/ immediate past Minister of Works, Babatunde Raji Fashiola who is a very close friend on mine for his role in ensuring that the road was fixed. Actually he connected me to Federal Inland Revenue Service in Abuja who fixed the road without the club spending a dime.

Zibiri- Aliu who said that his position as a former Vice Chairman of the Club prepared him adequately for the job further explained that while the gate at the Lawn Tennis Section was reconstructed during his tenure, the entire club was de- flooded and the club now IT compliant which enables members transact business with the club from the comfort of their homes.

” We did a lot of things during my tenure to ensure we maintain our position as the best club in Sub- Sahara Africa. The club is now fully IT compliant, we introduced Enterprise Resource Planning ( ERP) and E- Wallet that enables members pay from the comfort of their homes and as I bow out by the end of this month, I will hold my head high because, I achieved so much during my tenure

On what the club is doing in developing grassroots sports, he explained that all the eight sections of the club namely; Golf, table tennis, tennis, squash, badminton, swimming, Ballard ( Snooker ) and other Sports sections organize regular clinics where children horn their skills in various sports.

” As a leading club in Africa, we have eight sports sections and an academy where clinics and tournaments are organised regularly for the children.

” It will interest you to know that some of our children are already on scholarship in abroad through our sports programmes. The son of former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Femi Pedro is playing Golf abroad while some of our swimmers represented Lagos State at the National Sports Festival and we’ll continue to help in grassroots sports development”, he enthused.

Zibiri- Aliu who described the club as highly disciplined one that keeps religiously to their rule books advised the incoming new executives to try and improve on his successes so as to ensure that the club marches on.

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