Newly appointed Chairman of the National Sports Commission NSC, Shehu Dikko says Nigeria’s journey towards a sustainable sports economy has begun.

He stated this when the former Minister of Sports, John Enoh officially handed over the affairs of the country’s sports to him in a brief ceremony in Abuja.

History is on my side

“History has a way of coming full circle because in 2008 I was a consultant to the House of Representatives and was responsible for the drafting of the National Sports Commission Bill, a job I did pro-bono and about 16 years down the line I have here with the assignment to implement the work I assisted to put together”.

” The objective of Mr President is to harness the full potential of the Sports Economy in Nigeria.

“And we have to first change our mindset from the fixation of just competitions and winning medals and come back and fix our domestic sports development”.

“When we set the foundation right the results and the winning of medals will naturally come sustainably and that should be the new mindset”.

“We cannot continue to run in cycles so we need to have a different approach from day one because in my view and indeed the firm view of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, competition is what we call  “Consumption” because we just take scarce resources and burn out abroad without any impact on the domestic sports development ecosystem and the Nigerian Economy.

” But we have to go back to “Production” which is deliberate sports development, where we set the structure right, set the framework and put together good parameters to have a sustainable sports development which will naturally give us a solid sports economy and indeed guaranteed competitive participation at all competitions and medals.

Three Pillars

” This is the reason why our administration will be focused on three pillars including running Sports as a National Asset, that is entitled to special privileges, regulations and concessions to drive growth and development to open its potential to be a key driver of the economy across all sectors, a vehicle for achieving national cohesion and projection of the positive and unique attributes of our culture and national identity “.

” We have to also work on legislations and regulations to set the framework to enable the Industry to grow effectively like what happened in the communications industry some years back”.

” The other pillar is investing in purposeful world-class infrastructures that will provide an enabling environment for Growth.

“These infrastructures must be deliberate with maintenance culture and span from world-class infrastructure for professional sports to community infrastructure to drive grassroots sports and mass participation across the country”

” The thinking of Mr President is  that after  having some of all these in place we should be able to  measure the Country’s Sports by its contribution to the nation’s GDP by at least three per cent (3%)  addition via sports and the number of jobs sports and its value chain are providing in the country in the next  four to five years and indeed our competitiveness across all competitions and tournaments”

“Thus, it’s a visionary  decision for Mr President to approve the return of the National Sports Commission to drive this  process and objectives in line with the best international practices and standards devoid of any bureaucratic bottlenecks but absolute professionalism”

Dikko concluded by outlining some of the immediate action points to drive the agenda and the mandate which includes but is not limited to the structural organization of the National Sports Commission (NSC).

The essence is to position the NSC to implement the desired policies and framework envisaged.

According to Dikko, it is to facilitate private sector participation in the sector through investment in sports production and infrastructure development.

He also outlined the restructuring and capacity-building initiatives of the sports federations for optimal performance.

Also on his agenda is the engagement of competent personnel and partners to deliver on the mandate.

This will involve policy development by putting together strategies, policies and legislations to protect and support sports development in the country.

He promised to ensure that the NSC seamlessly assume the assets and liabilities from the defunct Federal Ministry of Sports; and most critically commence the process to amend/update the NSC Act to align with international best practices, creating a professional governance framework, resolve the funding challenges of sports in Nigeria and provide the enabling environment to drive Mr President vision to create a sustainable sports economy in Nigeria.

The immediate-past President of Nigeria Football Federation and Nigeria’s FIFA Council Member, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, will add another feather to his cap when he delivers this year’s Personality Guest Lecture of the Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan on Tuesday.

Pinnick, who is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football, will address the very germane topic of sport infrastructure, as he speaks on The Challenges of Sports Infrastructure and Maintenance In Nigeria: Prospect for Podium Performance.

The Dean of the Faculty, Professor Olufemi Adegbesan, said Pinnick, who is also a holder of the traditional honour of Royal Order of Iwere (ROI) was chosen for the honour based on his vast experience in sports administration and management, his broad worldview of the problems of sport infrastructure and maintenance, and his passion for youth empowerment through well-maintained infrastructure to discover and nurture budding talents.

“The Personality Guest Lecture is a part of the town-gown synergy of the University of Ibadan, the premier university. The Faculty of Education is desirous of contributing its quota to the development of Nigerian society through organizing personality lectures to discuss issues affecting the Nigerian economy.

“Our guest lecturer, Mr. Amaju Pinnick, has the resume to present the lecture having been at the top in sports management and administration nationally and internationally. The personality lecture offers a forum where individuals with proven track records of hard work, service to humanity and excellence in their chosen careers interface with a large audience comprising the youth, members of the academic community, stakeholders in the public and private sectors, and the general public.”

Tuesday’s lecture will hold at the Trenchard Hall of Nigeria’s first university and will commence at 11am.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Kayode Adebowale will lead the top echelon of the foremost citadel of learning to the event, with the sports community also well-represented. Newly-appointed Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko will lead the crew that will include President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi and NFF Director of Media and Communications, Dr Ademola Olajire. Pinnick’s business associates and jet-set friends will also be there in numbers.  

n board and dig our feet into the ground against the Falcons on Tuesday.”

BY MITCHELL OBI

As we say in our local parlance jungle don mature…the tiger needs to show its tigritude..Away with the lukewarm comportment of shying from entering the trench.

 It was no surprise to see Dr Patrice Motsepe throw his hat into the ring for a second term as CAF President. He has shown good courage of a leader sure of his ability and capacity to seek reaffirmation of his performance. One good term deserves another and some will add that even failure deserves a repeat as it was in our early school days.

 The first time he got the nod as CAF President came via acclamation. The coast was made clear for him with the multiple flightn shuttles of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, his principal sponsor. Major contenders  had to roll back their posters and swallow the pill of consensus and compromise. It was not easy even as they got compensated to stay within the power corridor to bid their time.  That time now seems a bridge too far with Motsepe stealing the thunder of declaring his candidacy in a brave posturing to anticipate any pretender. Infact, the early pretension of the Lion from Yaounde appears to have fizzled out with the sword of damocles dangling before his troubled body of iniquities. Now he needs to check the combustive home front in Yaounde to dare the Sundown Lion. African politics knows how to silence its loudest sons . And lessons remain to be learnt.

 One of such lessons is the creeping style of Motsepe which tend to suggest a certain nonchalance in holding office. A billionaire of note, he laughs at the thought of anyone contemplating his quest for power at football’s peak spot in the continent. Yet anyone who has keenly followed his stewardship as CAF President and appreciated his deep investment in it  must realise the overriding joy and acquired clout piling up for another enterprise. Motsepe needs the cream from football to sweeten and smoothen his path to political heights in his homeland. It is so typical of those who make toys of bank notes. And emblazoning his name in the minds of passionate football followers in the continent should be a sure step to gain political mileage where it matters. When I see Motsepe’s coloured passion for the game I am forcibly reminded of Nigeria’s MKO Abiola of blessed memory. Abiola was indeed the Pillar of Sports in Africa and he effectively used the vehicle of football to catalyse a rewarding quest for presidential power in Nigeria. 

 So what do we make of Motsepe’s drive to secure a second mandate? Some have evoked the Ides of March and some have painted the picture of a reluctant candidate.

 But the big question is whether Motsepe has done enough to be re-elected. He has gingerly built his style and shifted from the early painting of a stooge of the Zurich Czar.

He has closed the thought of those who think of leadership as a looting window and sprayed a dose of integrity and viability into the continental football body.

 A critical assessment and appraisal of his four years may come later. My thrust here is simply an appreciation of the courage to open the gates for next year’s presidential election. Will he go back to his seat unopposed? Is he being pushed into the trench with covering fire from those who are content with the status quo?

 One thing is sure. football power is an aphrodisiac. One craves for it like licking bonbons.

Inside Motsepe is the heart of a man enamoured of the charm of CAF President and I dare say a third term will not be a far cry.  A miner keeps digging even when he finds gold.

Dr. Mitchell Obi is the immediate past president of AIPS-Africa.