The Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office (SDO) of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Dr. Amina Shamaki,
has restated the commitment of the Federal Government to the patronage of made in Nigeria sports equipment for the development of grassroots games in Nigeria.
She reiterated this during the fifth edition of the Annual ICON Sports Management Conference/Awards 2016, held at the Raw Materials Research and Development Hall in Abuja.
Dr. Shamaki noted that the National Lottery Trust funds, under the SGF, “is currently distributing sports equipment to selected primary schools in the country to encourage sporting activities and culture at the grassroots level.”
She charged investors and sports equipment manufacturers not to limit production of sporting equipment to only football but across all games.
According to her, there is a Federal Government policy, which encourages MDAs to patronise local manufacturers in order to save hard earned foreign exchange.
The Permanent Secretary added that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachi Lawal, had reiterated the need for sporting activities to start at an early age in the development of children, to enable the country identify potentials and talented young Nigerians that would make the nation great.
“Sport is one thing that is close to health. Without health, your life is not alive. After life is health and after health is sport. Sport is an economic sector and it can be one of the most important revenue generation activities in Nigeria once we put our house together,” she said.
She, however, dedicated her award to all Nigerians, saying that Nigerians were very hard working, resilient and dedicated and that they needed the right leadership at the right time, noting that the current leaders in Nigeria were passionate about change in the country.
Earlier in their presentation, Professor R.S. Adamu and Dr. Joe-Bell Adaji, Managing Director, Excellent Professional Inc, highlighted the benefits of sports and the need for Nigerians to take advantage of investment in sports.
They reiterated the need for partnership, sponsorship rules, trust, grassroot development and academy as well as attracting the right sponsors to sports.
Among the awardees were Dr. (Mrs.) Amina Shamaki (Permanent Sectary, Special Duties Office), Hon. Justice Ibrahim Rufai Imam, Pa. Muili Adejare Ojo (Evergreen Sports Promoter Award), Dr. Hussaini Doko Ibrahim (DG, Raw Materials Research & Development Council), Sir Alex Billy Uwaje, Arafat Aliu (Cool FM), Mike Maiyaki (NTA), Chinedum Ohanusi (FRCN), Comrade Dahiru Hasan, President, Federation of Public Service Games (FESPSGA) and Dr. Julius Chukwuma Okonkwo (Executive Director, National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike.