The Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, has flagged off the state’s maiden sports summit with a call on governments at all levels to actively support and promote sports as a way of enhancing national unity.
Governor Ahmed said that the achievement of excellence in sports is anchored on long term planning, early identification and growing of talents as well as private sector participation.
The Governor was of the view that for effective and result oriented sports administration, the private sector should play active roles while government should be an enabler of a conducive environment.
He challenged governments at all levels to give priority to sports development, which he noted could lead to economic development.
He stressed that the sports summit, with the theme, “Sporting Nation, Sporting Kwara: Setting the Winning Agenda”, would fashion a framework for sporting excellence by leveraging on identified areas of strength of Kwara State.
He enumerated various efforts of the government in sports development and gave assurance of the implementation of the outcome of the summit.
The first sports summit in the history of the 46 years old state was attended by sports stakeholders across the country.
The former Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullah, threw what could be described as the first challenge for the state when he noted that the state had not been performing well in the areas of sports in recent years.
He wondered why a state noted for producing great sportsmen could now lag behind in medals, especially during national sports festivals.
He noted that the economic values of sports have been underestimated in Nigeria over the years, adding that sports administrators should maximize the economic potentials of sports rather than the participatory and entertaining aspects of sports.
The State Commissioner for Sports, Saheed Popoola, admitted that it was indeed time for the state to reclaim its past glory in the sports arena.
The outcome of the sports summit if implemented will ensure the transformation of the sports sector in the state.
