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NIGERIA’S SPORTS MINISTER AWAITS EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT OF HIS SIX-MONTH STEWARDSHIP

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Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare has declared that he could not score himself six months after assuming office,  even as  he remains focused on  re-inventing the wheels  in spite of the challenges. 

According to a report from his media office, Dare said: “It would be totally wrong to score myself. You can’t score yourself in an examination. Relevant stakeholders who have been monitoring what we have done since assuming office should do the scorecard.

“But by and large, we have tried to re invent the wheel of Youth and Sports Development, and restore confidence in the sector.

‘We have changed the wrong perception about the Youth and Sports Development Ministry, and engaged with critical stakeholders, the athletes and those that are genuinely interested in supporting us to actualize our vision.

“We have succeeded in convincing the athletes who are at the core of winning honours that we mean well and their welfare remains our central focus.

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‘We have refocused sports development by dwelling on the core issues that matter.”

The minister maintains that athletes and their welfare remain his top priority:

“Without the athletes winning laurels, sports will be meaningless.  So we have focused on infrastructural development, the discovery and development   of athletes and their welfare.

“We have also insisted on doing things right to change the ecosystem in Youth and Sports and most negative perceptions that we inherited have changed.

“We met a lot of challenges, but when we look back in a year or two we believe a lot would have changed for good.”

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On the biggest challenge since assuming office he said:

“The Youth and Sports Development sector is not insulated from the challenges that characterize other ministries and  sectors of the society. We inherited a lot of challenges like projects that were started and abandoned, those that were completely but made to rot away, youth unemployment and a sector that was completely neglected.

“We had to devise strategic options of tackling the problems.

“We came up with the Adopt-an -Athlete Initiative and Adopt-a-Stadium. We went   into partnership with committed individuals, corporate bodies, state governments and agencies to support our athletes and address the infrastructural problems. 

“These are problems that had always been there and we had to take proactive steps to tackle them.

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“This strategic move has achieved a lot with states   like Edo, Delta, Lagos, Anambra adopting athletes. 

“Unlike in the past, money meant for athletes are paid directly into their accounts without anyone taking anything. 

“This is to enable the athletes train well for the Olympics before it was postponed. Good enough, we are constantly monitoring the athletes to know how they are faring. 

“With the lockdown and postponement of all sporting  events, we are keeping tabs on the athletes  to ensure that they use the money well and also use private  indoor facilities to keep in shape.”

Speaking on infrastructure, the minister said stadiums like the MKO Abiola Stadium, National Stadiums in Lagos and Ibadan are being given a face lift by individuals, just as the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna has been  given a new look courtesy  of the Kaduna State  Governor,  Malam Nasiru El Rufai.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Governing Bodies

Sanusi set for record-extending tenure as Nigeria’s football politicians assemble in Asaba

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Speculations gathered ahead of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Football Federation holding in Asaba on Friday have it that tenure elongation for the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, is a major item on the agenda.

Neither formal confirmation nor denial has been issued since one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, ThisDay dropped the hint.  

 The agenda of the meeting is also not made public. Dr, Sanusi is the longest-serving General Secretary in history having been in office from 30 March 2015 making 3,476 days or nine years six months and four days.

It easily drowned that of his closest rival in tenure – Sani Toro whose tenure from 21 December 1993 to 3 May  1999 is merely 2020 days or five years, six months and 12 days.

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 Thus, no one had enjoyed a longer period in office than the incumbent, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi.  It is speculated that the tenure will be extended as NFF has reported that all delegates have arrived in the Delta State capital by Thursday evening.

The NFF Annual General Assembly, the first of which took place 90 years ago in Lagos on 19 February 1934, is the biggest assemblage of football administrators and stakeholders in the country.

In one such meeting on 24 July 2008 in Makurdi, the football body changed its name from NFA to NFF.

This year, according to a press release by the NFF, the plenary will have in attendance, the chairmen and secretaries of football associations in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, chairmen and secretaries of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and the Nationwide League One, as well as chairmen and secretaries of the referees’ association, players’ union and coaches’ association. This group of 88 makes up the Congress.

 They are joined by the members of the NFF Executive Committee and the management team as well as former NFF Presidents and General Secretaries.

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The Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, is announced as the special guest. Nigeria’s Member of the FIFA Council, Amaju Melvin Pinnick is also expected as well as a representative of the West African Football Union (WAFU B).

The Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori will declare the General Assembly open. 

Venue is the Unity Hall of the Delta State Government House.

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Governing Bodies

Like in Egypt, former Nigerian Olympian, Sadiq Abdulahi wants Tinubu to declare ‘State of Emergency’ in Sports

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Former Nigerian tennis player and Olympian, Prof. Sadiq Abdulahi has called for drastic action to arrest the decline of Nigeria in global sporting events.

  The former tennis player who is now a professor in the United States declared that the “failure to win a medal at the regular 2024 Paris Olympics, the few medals at the Paris Paralympic and the fallout at the National Youth Sports Festival has exposed the deep problems facing the sport’s sector.”

  He wants Nigeria to have the same approach that the Egyptian president has taken while reacting to the country’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olypics.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered  a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that  participated at the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.

 According to Prof. Abdulahi, the National Sports Federations charged with the preparation of elite athletes have failed to do their job despite the cry for funding from the government.

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“Federal Government cannot adequately fund all the Olympics sports. It is impossible.

“By declaring a state of emergency, new people, new approaches and new funding models will be identified. More importantly, the Federal Government will redefine grassroots sports development.

“We will lay sustainable foundation for sports development.”

Continuing, he called for the return of the National Sports Commission (NSC) which enabling decree was abolished through Decree No. 7 of 1991, but came back through presidential proclamation under Sani Abacha before it was abolished again.

 The original NSC was established in 1964 as National Sports Council before the promulgation of Decree 34 of 1971 which legalised it as  the apex Federal Government agency to control, regulate and organize sports.

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  “The FG may now bring back the National Sports Commission or the National Sports Authority. Our emerging national economy with the full participation of the private sector can support this new beginning. I hope this helps.” 

RELATED STORY: President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul

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Governing Bodies

CAF gives Yoruba and Arabic interpretations of  ‘OLA’ the Super Cup 2024 Official Match Ball

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The Confédération African of Football, CAF, has given the linguistics interpretation of OLA, the confederation’s official match balls produced by Puma which has also unveiled a special edition for the Super Cup duel holding on Friday in Saudi Arabia.

According to CAF, OLA, symbolizing the dynamic and energetic nature of African football, means “wealth,” “honour,” and “respect” in Yoruba and “rise” and “success” in Arabic.

The OLA ball stands out with its vibrant design and cultural significance. “OLA” 

The ball is a mix of black and gold, representing power and sophistication. The ball will be the centrepiece of the eagerly-awaited match between the two giants of African football.

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