Shehu Dikko: We must change our mindset from the fixation of just competitions and winning medals and focus on holistic sports development
Shehu Dikko, chair of the resuscitated National Sports Commission (NSC), says his administration will prioritise holistic sports development over medal chase at international competitions.
Dikko spoke on Wednesday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, where John Enoh, the former minister of sports development, formally handed over to him.
Dikko was appointed head of the NSC on October 23 and will oversee the country’s sports administration. President Bola Tinubu scrapped the ministry of sports development and transferred its functions to the NSC.
During the hand-over ceremony, Dikko called for a “change in our mindset from the fixation of just competitions and winning medals” at international competitions and a focus on “our domestic sports development”.
Advertisement
He added that “when we set the foundation right, the results and the winning of medals will naturally come in a sustainable manner”.
Dikko vowed to develop a viable sports economy, adding that President Bola Tinubu expects the sector to contribute “at least three percent to the nation’s GDP in the next four years”.
He said part of his mission was to ensure sports make measurable impacts on job creation.
Advertisement
Dikko was a former chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) management company from 2014 to 2022.
Before its latest resuscitation, the NSC had been responsible for regulating sports in Nigeria but was scrapped by the Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2015.
Add a comment
