The National Sports Commission (NSC) has commended President Bola Tinubu for approving more than N200 billion for sports facilities, describing it as unprecedented support.
NSC Chairman, Shehu Dikko, gave the commendation on Wednesday in Abuja during the unveiling of the logo for the Renewed Hope Unity Cup.
Dikko, represented by the NSC Director of Facilities, Mohammed Saidu, said the funding marked a major shift from previous years.
He said sports facilities maintenance received little or no budgetary allocation in earlier years.
“The National Sports Commission has never received the kind of support it is getting now from Mr President,” he said.
“There was a time when facilities maintenance had a zero-naira budget for four consecutive years.
“Today, we have more than N200 billion released for sports facilities.
“This is a major demonstration of the President’s commitment to developing sports infrastructure across the country,” Dikko said.
He said the commission appreciated Tinubu’s support and would continue working to make Nigeria a leading sporting nation in Africa.
Dikko said the President also fulfilled commitments made to the Super Falcons following their achievements.
“We cannot stop thanking Mr President for his unwavering support for sports,” he said.
“We are grateful for what he has done, but we are also asking for more because we want Nigeria to become the best sporting nation in Africa.”
Speaking on the Renewed Hope Unity Cup, Dikko said the grassroots initiative aligned with the commission’s mandate of strengthening sports development.
He described football as Nigeria’s most popular sport and said grassroots initiatives would help build a sustainable future for the game.
“Our major mandate is to ensure that the foundation of sports at the grassroots becomes solid enough to support the growth of all sports,” he said.
He described the unveiled logo as a symbol of the vision and aspirations of the initiative.
Dikko said the commission was proud to be associated with the tournament.
Earlier, National Convener of the Renewed Hope Unity Cup, Suleiman Kwande, said teams from all 774 Local Government Areas would participate.
Kwande described it as Nigeria’s largest grassroots football competition.
He said the tournament would promote national unity, discover football talents, empower youths and strengthen community development through sports.
According to him, the competition will also provide coaching education, digital broadcasting of matches and economic opportunities for host communities.
He said the initiative complements the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda by using sports as a tool for national development.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tournament is scheduled to take place from Oct. 1 to Dec. 1.
NAN reports that prize money for the tournament, designed for male players aged 18 to 21, has yet to be determined.(NAN)
