House Committee on Sports Sets Sights on Revamping Nigeria’s Sporting Sector

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports and representative of the Gusau/Tsafe Federal Constituency, Honourable Kabiru Amadu, on Thursday, 10th October 2024, outlined the Committee’s vision for repositioning the nation’s sports sector.

Speaking at the maiden meeting of the Committee at the National Assembly in Abuja, Honourable Amadu acknowledged the critical role of his colleagues in advancing the Committee’s agenda and highlighted the importance of addressing the numerous challenges facing Nigeria’s sports federations and infrastructure.

“I want to start by thanking Almighty Allah and the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Honourable Tajudeen Abass, the entire leadership of the House, and my esteemed colleagues for finding me worthy to be appointed as the Chairman of this great Committee,” Amadu said.

He paid tribute to the late Chairman, Honourable Ekene Abubakar Adams, and his deputy, Honourable Jajere Buba Mohammed, for their dedicated service over the past year, noting, “The task of repositioning this Committee for optimum performance is a feat we must accomplish.”

A key focus of Amadu’s speech was Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the country failed to secure any medals, lamenting that, “This sparked widespread displeasure from well-meaning citizens.”

The Chairman, however, stressed the need for early and adequate preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Amadu emphasized the importance of sports as a tool for reducing crime and unemployment, as well as its potential to generate significant foreign exchange.

He reiterated, “The Committee aims to foster grassroots sports activities, improve sports management, and ensure the success of Nigeria’s athletes on the global stage.”

He also highlighted the challenges within Nigeria’s sports sector, stating, “It is on record that out of the over forty sports federations in Nigeria, less than twenty are functioning, and of those, only about five are adequately funded.”

Amadu used the opportunity to call on the Federal Government to provide “adequate budgetary allocations” to address the dilapidated state of sports infrastructure across the country, particularly the national stadia.

Further, he expressed the Committee’s commitment to addressing issues within the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and voiced optimism regarding the Super Eagles’ chances of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Concluding his remarks, Honourable Amadu extended his best wishes to the Super Eagles ahead of their upcoming matches against Libya, scheduled for 11th and 13th October 2024, saying, “We wish our Super Eagles success in the forthcoming matches.”