By Raphael Ekpang
The Minister of sports development, Senator John Owan Enoh has explained the brain behind the successful outing of Team Nigeria in the just concluded African Games in Accra, Ghana.
Senator Enoh said that part of the strategy adopted by the ministry to record success at the competition was the set up of Ministerial Podium Performance Team headed by Professor Ken Anugwuje of the high performance center in Port Harcourt, saying that the committee was set up to handle training load management ahead of the competition, among other professional training details that leave athletes in peak form through out the two weeks competition in Ghana
However, the minister officially announced that Team Nigeria came second in the game behind Egypt the overall winners of the event saying, “I am happy to report back to you that we had an outstanding performance at the games, coming second only to Egypt on the medals table. In all, our country nicked a total number of 121 medals composed of 47 gold medals, 33 silver and 41 bronze medals. Team Nigeria won the overall best team in athletics with 11 gold medals, 6 silver medals and 4 bronze medals.
“Nigeria ‘’s Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi set a new world record in the javelin event at the games, with a throw of 82.80 meters, defeating the previous world champion in the process. Team Nigeria emerged overall best in boxing on the continent with a total of 8 gold medals and two silver medals. Nigeria’s Omolara Ogunmakinju put up an impressive performance in the 4×4 mixed relay, by out running her opponent in the final leg of the events, to win a gold medal for the country. The race was the talk of the day. Swimming and hand ball won medals which we have not won for decades.¹
The elated Sports Minister further said, “I am pleased to announced that six wrestlers have qualified the Olympics in Paris, they are; Hannah Reuben, Blessing Oborodudu, Christiana Ogunsanya, Kolawole Esther and Adekuroye.. Furthermore, three boxers have also qualified for the Olympics.
“For the duration of the competition, the Indomitable Nigerian spirit was on full display; the world witnessed the Nigerian strength, resilience and excellence. As a result of this dazzling performance, our dear president, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and indeed the Nigerian people are thankful to our gallant athletes for their hard work, sacrifice and collective efforts which made the difference,” he said.
The Sports Minister noted that the achievement of the athletes at the games wouldn’t have been possible without the full support of President Bola Tinubu whom he said spared not efforts to ensure the athletes were adequately funded inspites of paucity of funds and competing national priorities.
However, Sen. Enoh said under the renew hope agenda of president Tinubu the accountability and transparency threshold in governance has Improved significantly, ushering in a new era of financial prudence in the management and dispensation of the resources of government
“Working closely with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) inline with this new thinking and policy, which is a marked departure from the past , we ensure the timely payment of camp and game’s allowances directly to the athletes by the country’s apex bank. This policy not only raised the transparency and openness threshold but laid to rest, the perennial accusations of athletes being shortchanged.
The Minister said President Bola Tinubu has demonstrated his interest and commitment to the growth t of sports, adding that his commitment to the development of sports informed the creation of the full ministry of sports.
He also said that President Tinubu uncommon passion for sports has practically moved obstacles that will encumber the discovery of budding talents and progress in all sports. For instance Enoh said, “our President graciously cleared all the debts accumulated by the former administration in the funding of football in excess of N12 billion. There is no doubt that this new lease contributed significantly to the stellar performance of our national team, the Super Eagles who came second in the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Enoh hinted that the ministry is currently implementing a raft of policies which they hope will bring in enduring systemic change in the sector, insisting that some of which are revolutionary and will lead to accelerated development of the sports sector within the period of his tenure.
He said, “On assumption of office, we conducted a national analysis of the sports sector to better understand the problems and challenges in the sports ecosystem, identifying and aggregating the opportunity by having extensive stakeholders‘’ engagement meetings. We see sports as a fulcrum to address most of the President‘’s 8 point agenda; sports for social inclusion, job creation, Improved security, reduction of poverty.
Meanwhile, the sports minister assured Nigerians that the current administration is determined to promote enduring policies that will usher in a new era of progress within the sports ecosystem. Though, he insisted that the task of sports development is work in progress.
