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Governing Bodies

SIX MONTHS ON THE SADDLE: SUNDAY DARE’S SCORECARD

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BY JOHN JOSHUA-AKANJI

Faith is now restored in the Nigerian sports scene. Sponsors and individuals now feel comfortable investing in sports in Nigeria as there exists, great and proper accountability as well as due process.

The results speak clear: The ‘Adopt-A-Stadium’ initiative paying off with the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja to be renovated by Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

Chief Kensington Daura has done the renovation of the Township Stadium, Katsina. The Kaduna State Government has undertaken to renovate the Ahmadu Bello Stadium.

Sports in Nigeria are just beginning to get the desired attention. The entire sports spectrum is being revived despite the paucity of funds.

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Dare’s master plan is moving sports away from mere recreation to real business anchored on four triggers; infrastructure as catalyst for development, investment, incentives and policy.

The inauguration of the steering committee of Sports Industry Group led by eminent personalities is an indication of a new dawn, hope and renewal in the sports sector by the organised private sector.

Unlike past ministers who became pigeonholed as ‘football ministers’, Dare is re-inventing the wheel by paying rapt attention to other sports and youth development.

This has seen him navigate round the country in search of talents, revival of the states’ sports festival, launching of a youth policy document, digital training and creation of employment opportunities.

His interventions are already yielding results with the discovery of a young swimmer nicknamed the “Fish”, the young girl boxing sensation Shekina as well as the tennis sisters Oiza and Nene Yakubu.

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No wonder he has earned himself the sobriquets “Talent Hunter”, “Reformist Minister” among others.

The revival of the National Sports Festival, Youth Games, NUGA, back to school, Principals Cup, Headmasters Cup among others are geared towards enduring sports development.

Welfare of athletes occupies a front burner in the minister’s agenda with athletes getting their entitlements promptly.  Dare insists that without sports men, sports will be meaningless as they are the core of winning glory for our country.

Hence, while active athletes are getting remunerated, forgotten heroes are also getting due recognition.  Dare is working with top athletes like Mary Onyali, Daniel Igali, Daniel Amokachi, Joseph Yobo among others in rallying their colleagues to actualize his new vision.

Youths now enjoy a new deal under the D-E-E-L program, an acronym for

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Digital Skills, Entrepreneurship, Employment and Leadership.

Through this, youths are being trained to acquire Digital skills and become self-employed. The minister has gone into strategic partnership with at least 20 agencies to implement this action plan.

More than 500,000 youths are expected to benefit from the ‘DY.NG’ – Digital Youth Nigeria initiative. Likewise, the Nigeria Youth Online, ‘NOYA’ program is expected to train youngsters in Digital skills, trading and internship.

This would be done through the Youth Development centres across Nigeria. An agreement with the AFDB has been signed to actualize this mandate.

Other Development partners include Centre Bank, Bank of Industries, Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Nigeria Content Development Monitoring Board, Dangote Industries, Premier Lotto, 21st Century and partnership with over 50 Corporate Organizations on WEP initiative.

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 Since the Ministry is limited by funds, Dare is thinking outside the box by partnering with the private sector, wealthy individuals, state governments, agencies and international organizations to actualize what he calls a huge, unfunded mandate.

Six months on the saddle, Dare is on the right track of re rewriting Nigerian youth and sports development history.

-John Joshua -Akanji is Senior Special Adviser, Media to Youth and Sports Development Minister

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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