Caligeo Suites, a hospitality company based in Ibadan, has started honouring Nigeria’s medal-winning athletes from the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, activating a reward programme announced before the event.
The company’s chief executive officer, Gbolahan Fatuga, said the initiative provides 30 complimentary nights in standard suites for every gold medallist, 20 nights for silver medallists and 15 nights for bronze medallists.
Nigeria’s athletics team collected three gold, three silver and four bronze medals at the Games, reaching the medal total required for the scheme to take effect.
Eligible athletes are receiving digital vouchers with individual identification numbers. The awards can be used until 31 December 2027 and may be handed to coaches, relatives or friends. Fatuga said the transfer option was included because some of the medallists live outside Nigeria and might not be able to use the accommodation personally.
Anyone using a transferred voucher must provide the name of the athlete who originally received it when making a booking. Caligeo Suites will then authenticate the voucher before approving the reservation, with stays dependent on room availability.
Fatuga, who previously competed as an athlete, said the programme could offer a model for greater private-sector participation in Nigerian sport. “My aim is to encourage corporate sponsorship and assistance for our athletes across Nigeria’s business community, while positioning Caligeo Suites as an example that other organisations and individuals can follow,” he said.
He also repeated his appeal for companies to work alongside the government and sports federations in financing athlete support. “Helping athletes who compete for Nigeria requires businesses and public institutions to share the responsibility. Depending only on the government and sports federations is not a sustainable approach,” Fatuga said.
