Former Minister of Works and Housing in Nigeria, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has said that Nigeria’s sports industry has the potential to drive economic development and create jobs for millions of Nigerians.
Speaking at the public presentation of a media icon of over three decades, Dr. Mumini Alao’s autobiography, Fashola emphasised the need for a new approach to sports development in the country.
According to Fashola, the sports industry globally has become a major driver of economic growth, with many countries leveraging on it to create jobs, generate revenue, and promote national development.
He cited examples of countries like the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and others that have successfully harnessed the potential of sports to drive economic growth.
In Nigeria, Fashola said, the sports industry has been underutilised, despite its vast potential, attributing this to a lack of focus on sports development as a key sector of the economy, inadequate infrastructure, and poor governance.
To unlock the potential of the sports industry, Fashola called for a multi-faceted approach that includes investing in sports infrastructure, developing manpower capacity, and promoting sports as a business and profession.
Fashola’s remarks have sparked hopes that Nigeria can unlock the vast potential of its sports industry and create new opportunities for economic growth and job creation.
He also emphasised the need for proper governance, regulation, and safety measures to ensure the growth and development of the industry.
Nurtured to the peak
The legal practitioner also emphasised the importance of safety and security at sports events, proper governance, and regulation of the industry.
”We must develop a new generation of officials, umpires, referees who administer the rules of various sports with utmost integrity and we must have no tolerance for hooliganism or violence under any guise.
…We must ensure, amongst many other things, that there is absolutely no space for drug use, abuse or cheating in our sports, or in any sports facility in Nigeria.
With the global epidemic of drug abuse the prime objective of our sports programme must be to find the best talent, and keep it untainted as it is nurtured to the peak of its most natural ability.”
As the country continues to explore new ways to drive economic development, the sports industry is increasingly being seen as a key sector that can play a major role in shaping the nation’s economic future.
Lateefah Ibrahim