Sports Development in Nigeria: A Panacea for Youths Restiveness —By Eugene Upah

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Eugene Upah|31 July 2016

Sports development in Nigeria has not received the necessary attention it ought to have been given. Apart from bringing national and international recognition to the country, sports is a unifying factor that bridges the gap between nations, ethnic nationalities, and exposes young children and youths to some kind of discipline which can be very helpful to them in the future. The Nigerian sports industry needs an almost total overhaul if it must go far at the Olympic Games and other major international competitions.

For example, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is more popular than the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports. This is because our country prioritize Football at the expense of other sports. This is very sad indeed. At the forthcoming Olympics Games in Rio, Brazil, for instance, a whole team of 11 men consisting of a football team would bring back only one gold medal (if they win) representing a country triumphing over another nation, but a Blessing Okagbare is capable of bringing back 4 gold medals in 100m, 200m, 4x100m and long jump, if all necessary apparatus are put in place to enable her compete in all her events.

Suffice it is not to say the game of Football isn’t important. No. There is the need for the various sports stakeholders in the country to implement programs across the states that will transform the sports sector. I watched earlier last week how the President, General Muhammadu Buhari, gave a directive that funds be released to enable athletes travel and represent Nigeria at the forthcoming Rio Olympic Games. This directive came only 18 days prior to the competition. How can a Taekwondist for instance, who starts training only 18 days be compared to his counterparts in other countries who have been camped and receiving proper training 3 months to the same competition? The blame should not only go to the government for lack of funds. In Britain and the United States for instance, multi-national companies scramble amongst themselves, the opportunity to win the rights to sponsor sports. It should be the same here. The Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports and other sports stakeholders need to muscle far more beyond the good job they have already done.

An American based outfit, Kimasports, undertook a Comprehensive Sports Development Program (CSDP) for Cross River State from December 2009 to October 2015 which achieved tremendous results. Before CSDP, CRS ranked 10th place in the National Schools Sports Festival and placed 18th in the National Sports Festival. Through Kimasports, CRS moved from 10th place in 2010 and placed 6th after the first year of CSDP. CRS hosted and placed 1st in 2011 and maintained it position for 4 consecutive years since then, and are the current defending champions of the competition. After Calabar 2011, other editions of the competition were hosted in Port Harcourt (2012), Kwarra (2013), and Benue (2014). At the 2011 competition, CRS track and field team dominated the rest of the nation by winning 42 gold, 28 silver and 15 bronze medals, while the other 35 states shared amongst them, 24 gold, 38 silver and 51 bronze medal. 

Athletes like Patience Okon George (Nigeria), Blessing Ofonime (Bahrain), Endurance Essien  (Bahrain), Edoki Fabian (USA), Abeng Oka (Nigeria), Loveth Odia (USA), Henry Effiong (Nigeria), Mercy Ntiaobong (Nigeria), to mention but a few, were discovered through the platform of Kimasports. This are all athletes who have won medals, and are still representing Nigeria all around the world in Athletics, Boxing and Swimming. CRS has shown via the CSDP, that there are raw talents wandering the streets of Nigeria undiscovered. As I write, the Nigeria athletics team cannot win the 4x400m Relay without a Patience Okon George in her team.

There is the need for the Nigerian sports industry to promote and adequately enhance this sector by setting up programs across the country for grassroots sports development. With this, the apparatus for scouting and discovering sportsmen and women can be put in place, and the country can boldly confront any competition that comes by. Thank you.

Eugene Upah
Writes from Calabar
simplyeugenik@gmail.com