The Federal Government has resolved that it will collaborate and work with the French Development Agency (AFD) to develop Sports and equip the High Performance Centres to required international standard and optimize the potentials of Nigeria’s female and male athletes.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD) Mr. Olusade Adesola, made this known while receiving a French delegation from the French Development Agency (AFD) on a courtesy visit. Mr. Adesola averred that the visit by the AFD was timely and fortuitous, for the Ministry to rediscover ways and means of strengthening institutions and facilities for Sports in Nigeria.
While conceding the fact that the FMYSD does not have a policy that particularly targets females in Sports, he affirmed that the Ministry have entrenched and tested policies and programmes that ensure that Nigeria’s participation in local and international games, include Gender balance.
Besides the Nigerian Female Football National Teams, across FIFA age brackets, Mr. Adesola cited instances of other Competitive Games that are primarily organised to harness and nurture budding talents, across the demographic bracket of youthful age of Nigeria’s population of 180 million. These, according to him, include the National Sports Festival, National Youth Games and other International Sporting Games.
Furthermore, he also asserted that the urgent need to recognize and build High Performance Centres in the country with standard equipment and facilities cannot be overemphasized in developing Sports in Nigeria, adding AFDs assistance in this regard would be mostly appreciated, to enhance Nigeria’s athletes performance in competitive games.
In her remarks, Alice Ribes, stated that her mission to the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, is that of a fact finding mission. To ascertain how Sports works in Nigeria, with the aim of initiating and partnering with Nigeria to develop and optimize the potentials of Nigeria’s athletes, particularly for gender growth in sporting activities.
Ramon A. Balogun
Asst. Director, Press
