President Bola Tinubu has called on government and individuals to invest more in sports development from the primary schools to help the nation harness the inherent opportunities in the modern sports.
He also urged the private sector, non-governmental organisations and international partners to key into sports development in the country for greater impact.
Addressing delegates from the 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory at the 1st National Council on Sports (NCS) organized by the federal ministry of sports development in Enugu on, Tinubu represented by the minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Hon. Zaphaniah Jisalo, noted that building a robust sports ecosystem that supports the nation’s athletes and promotes healthy living among citizens was not a project the government could handle alone.
He added that sports was not just a source of entertainment and recreation but a big business as well a powerful tool for fostering unity, promoting health, and driving economic growth.
In Nigeria, sports have historically been a unifying force, a strong platform for soft diplomacy, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds and cultures and fostering a sense of national pride and identity,” he said. “As we gather here today, we are reminded of the tremendous potential that sports hold for our youth. Sports can provide a pathway to personal development, offering our young people opportunities to build character, discipline, and leadership skills. It is our responsibility to create an environment where these opportunities are accessible to all.”
The president also emphasized the need for development of sports infrastructure, saying it is a major force that would lift the nation’s sports.
He continued: “In line with our Renewed Hope Agenda, we must invest in modern facilities and ensure their maintenance and accessibility. Our athletes deserve the best training environments to compete at the highest levels and to bring glory to our nation.
“We also need to invest in sports development right from the primary school.
“The government cannot do this alone. We need the active involvement of the private sector, non-governmental organisations, and international partners. Together, we can build a robust sports ecosystem that supports our athletes and promotes healthy living among our citizens”.
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, in his address, charged the delegates to come up with strategies that could make sports more attractive for private sector investment, stressing that it must be taken to a level where the teeming youths must aspire to belong to it.
He observed that sports generally had declined in the country, following derelict infrastructure, funding gaps among others, stressing that the country had not emerged the first position in all Africa Games since 2023 when it was hosted in Abuja.
Mbah also emphasized the need to pay attention to grassroots development of sports, explaining that it was from there that qualified athletes are built to compete in world tournaments.
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