The Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Buki Ponle, has assured of his management’s readiness to always support the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in all its activities.
Mr Ponle gave the assurance when SWAN FCT chairman Comrade Ndubueze Chidoka led other newly elected executive members to a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja.
NAN boss, however, described sports as a veritable tool in promoting peace and unity in the country.
A statement by SWAN FCT Secretary, Ikenna Okonkwo said Ponle also urged relevant stakeholders to creatively use sports to drive the country socio-economic’s development of the country.
He said, “It’s common knowledge to everybody that sports hold pride of place in Nigeria. We know what sports have done to our country in promoting unity and oneness of our nation.
“Let (SWAN) continue to explore ways we can use sports in all ramifications to promote oneness, to promote the goodness of the country and also to elevate the country to a viable level.”
While calling on the newly elected leaders to be magnanimous in victory and carry along all aggrieved members following the outcome of the election, the NAN CEO stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to take sports back to its enviable height in line with international best practices.
He later promised to support the upcoming SWAN FCT sporting competition with a trophy. NAN had emerged runners-up during the 2019 edition of the 5-aside football competition, an edition the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) won.
Earlier, SWAN FCT Chairman, Comrade Ndubueze Chidoka thanked the management of NAN for the warm reception and support for the association over the years.
He said the association deemed it imperative to visit NAN because of the Agency’s credibility in quality news dissemination across the country.
Chidoka said NAN was one organisation that SWAN could not do without because of its professional reportage, especially in the coverage of major sporting events across the globe.
“I have to say SWAN cannot do without organisations like NAN because you have assisted in making our job easier with your quality reportage of sporting activities across the country,” he said.
The FCT SWAN chairman also used the occasion to seek the support of NAN in hosting the annual SWAN week and football competition.
He said the association would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to reposition sports while noting that the reconciliation process was already in place to strengthen the association.
