Mayweather to set up boxing academies nationwide in Nigeria

Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. has unveiled plans to set up boxing academies across Nigeria to discover and groom young fighters who can compete globally, Vanguard reports.

The former world champion, who spoke in Abuja on Friday, said the initiative would involve staging boxing events across the country to give emerging fighters a platform to showcase their skills and build professional careers.

The initiative, tied to the TMT Frontrow Fight Series, will cover Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Calabar and other locations. Its first event is scheduled for 2027, when Mayweather is expected to fight in Nigeria.

Dr Adrian Ogun, a consultant at TMT Africa, said Mayweather had kept a promise made during his 2022 visit to Abuja to return and support boxing among young Nigerians.

He said the programme would provide academies, technical expertise and equipment, and proposed a partnership between Nigerian academies and Mayweather’s Las Vegas gym.

Mayweather is also exploring investment opportunities in Nigeria’s mining and solid minerals sector.