Dikko hosts NUGA delegation, re-echoes importance of school sports

By Jude Opara, Abuja

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, has charged educational institutions to take advantage of the critical role they can play in advancing sports development in the country.
Dikko who spoke on Tuesday while receiving a delegation from the Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA) was of the opinion that schools and universities are key to nurturing young talents and building a strong foundation for the future of sports in Nigeria.
According to him, collaborating with educational institutions to improve sports facilities, coaching, and training programmes will create a pathway that will be essential to identifying and grooming future athletes who can represent the country at international championships.
The NSC boss who recalled with nostalgia his days as a student of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) urged students to take sports seriously; stating that most of them could even rise to become tomorrow’s sports administrators.
“The NUGA Games is a tournament that every student wants to be a part of,” he said. “NUGA is key to sustainable sports development, and we need to collaborate to ensure that talents emerge from these games.
“Athletes from four universities in the State of California won 89 medals at the last Olympics with only Stanford University students winning 39 (12 gold, 14 silver and 13 bronze). Such achievements are a reflection of the importance of educational institutions in sports and Nigeria must take the record as a motivation to work hard to be in that bracket”.
He emphasized the NSC’s commitment to fostering talents through a focus on grassroots and school-based sports; even as he highlighted the importance of partnerships with NUGA and the Ministry of Education to secure private funding for infrastructure and training in universities.
“With the right facilities and coaching, we can cultivate young talent that will naturally bring medals and achievements for Nigeria,” he explained.
Earlier, the NUGA delegation led by its president, Bawa Muhammed expressed confidence in Dikko’s leadership, given his experience and background as a seasoned sports administrator.
Bawa added that NUGA has huge confidence in Dikko’s abilities and shares in his vision to grow sports and the sports economy. He said university athletes won approximately 35% of the medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and NUGA has a mission to propel Nigerian sports to such international success.