Leadership (Abuja)
4 January 2009
Given the role of sports in the successful implementation of the seven point agenda and the realization of the vision 20-20 of the federal government headed by president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, the National Sports Commission said its policy thrust in 2009 would be to consciously reposition sports from purely social and recreational activity to an instrument for effective national socio-economic re-engineering, with very strong private sector participation.
To this end, the ultimate objective or targets by the National Sports Commission according to the Director General, Dr. Patrick Ekeji would be for Nigeria to emerge the best sporting country in Africa by 2012.
Achieving the 2012 set target, Dr. Ekeji said the country needs to get to the last four in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, place 1st among Commonwealth African countries at the 2010 commonwealth games in India, win the All Africa Games in 2011 in Zambia, win 4 gold medals at the London Olympic Games and win 8 gold medals at London 2012 para-olympic games.
The commission therefore has put in mechineries to realize the target, which amongst other things would be to renovate all federal government sports facilities and make them functional by 2010, reposition all 33 national sports federations and make them effective, efficient and functional in 2009.
Other things to be done according to the Director General would be to develop the 774 community sports centres nationwide by 2011, conclude the establishment of National Coaches Council by the 3rd quarter of 2009, as well as establish a high performance centre in 2009/2010.
NSC has also taken upon itself the responsibility to complete the establishment of talent development centres in the 6 geopolitical zones in 2011, ensure appropriate level accreditation of the National Institute for Sports before the end of 2010 and as well ensure fully equipped sports science centres by 2010.
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