“Sports are seen as both recreation and business”
~The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh
The Federal Government has expressed its determination to continue to collaborate with the corporate and private sector organizations to unlock the economic potential of sports in the country.
The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh gave the assurance last month in his office at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja, when he met with the members of the Dream Sports Africa led by its Country Director, Mr. Michael Anejo.
Senator Owan Enoh stated that the new vision and thinking of government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu now is that sports are seen as both recreation and business. This he said, was the right approach to jumpstart the desired transformation of sports in our country.
He stated that with this new vision of government, the Federal Ministry of Sports Development under his watch, will continue to keep its door open to collaboration with relevant stakeholders, private sector investors, civil society organizations as well as the global sports community to join hands with the Federal Government in its effort to fully unlock the economic potentials of sports in Nigeria and in the process, unleash one of the most consequential transformations of the 21st century.
The Minister stated further that sports have a great potential for wealth creation, employment generation, poverty alleviation, social inclusivity and the ability to make substantial contributions to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Senator Owan Enoh noted that private sector organisations have a critical role to play in unlocking these opportunities but that this huge potential has been squandered due to inaction and missed priorities.
He called on the private sector investors and major players in the industry to take advantage of the incentives put in place by the current administration to invest massively in the development of sports in Nigeria.
Besides, Senator Owan Enoh explained that in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration, the government has endorsed the National Sports Industry Policy (NSIP) approved by the immediate past administration and the Ministry was committed to ensuring the implementation of the policy especially, in areas such as expanding and improving School Sports Games, implementing a strategic plan to define the growth path for discovered talents, improved welfare for athletes and Public-Private Partnerships for upgrade of essential sports infrastructure across the country.
