The Minister of Youth and Sports Development Barrister Solomon Dalung has concluded a 2-day work inspection of sporting facilities in Kano State accompanied by a team of foreign investors from the Czech Republic as part of new government initiative aimed at attracting private sector investment in sport development in the country, in order to create job opportunities for Nigerian teeming youth through sports.
The Minister inspected sporting facilities at the Sport Institute of the Kano State University of Technology and the multi-purpose Kano State Sporting complex.
Addressing the Management and Staff of the Kano State University of Technology at a dinner held in his honour, Dalung described as praiseworthy the establishment of the Sport Institute by the Kano State Government hoping that the Institute will be able to play the kind of role that a similar Institute in the University of Pretoria South Africa is playing in the development and training of coaches, referees and other professionals needed to assist in the scouting for young talents, nurturing of such talents to stardom and ensuring that there is constant replenishment when reigning athletes and sports men and women have reached their peak.
The Minister also used the occasion to challenge the nation’s ivory tower to lead a campaign for new national rebirth and reorientation like the role played by the Intelligentsia in the German revolution in order to save our country from acquisitive tendencies, quest for materialism and personal aggrandisement that are bedeviling our country today.
He said most of the social problems that the country is facing today can be traced to failure to give priority to youth development; a situation that has led to lack of focus, distrust and despair among the youth. He said there is urgent need to give youth a new re-orientation and direction through investment in sport and strategic inclusion in economic and national affairs.
Meanwhile, the Minister while paying a courtesy call on the Governor of the State during his inspection visit, described Kano State as the state with the greatest youth endowment and comparative advantage in the country, warning that the neglect of this vibrant segment which constitute about 60% of the State population is a sleeping catastrophe.
He praised the State Government for identifying sports as a vital instrument of addressing youth challenges assuring that the Federal Government is ready to partner with the state using Kano as a case study where private investment in sports can help develop the youth, check youth unemployment as well as guarantee good returns on investment.
The Ag Governor of the State who received the Minister assured the Minister that Kano being the most populous state in the federation offers great opportunity for willing local and foreign investors. He said Kano state deserves special attention and intervention of the Federal Government as its youth population alone is bigger than many states in Nigeria.
The Minister also paid a courtesy call on the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness Alhaji Muhammadu Lamido Sanusi who he described as a royal father known for giving selfless leadership be it in politics, religion and state affairs. He informed the Emir that he was in Kano State with some foreign partners to explore possible sporting areas for partnership with the State Government, for the overall interests of the youth in the state. “We want to replicate the good things South Africa is doing through support of the private sector by giving skills to athletes so as to empower them and for them to have something to fall back upon after reaching their peak.”
Responding, the Emir extolled the sterling qualities of the Minister which preceded his appointment and urge him to do his best not to disappoint his numerous admirers. He also advised the government to identify areas to concentrate on and not to be tempted to solve all problems at the same time; saying this is one of the reasons many people spend long time in office without having tangible things to point to despite hard work. He enjoined the public to continue to support the government in the task for repositioning our country
The Minister later inspected facilities at the Kano State Sport Institute which include the administrative blocks, lecture theatres, indoor game halls, facilities for kinetics, physiotherapy, medicals and other outdoor games facilities like football field, swimming pool, gyms and sporting courts for basketball, long tennis, volley ball etc.
The Minister also led the foreign partners to inspect the Kano State Sports Complex reputed to be the biggest in the country. Apart from scores of facilities for table tennis, judo, weight lifting, athletics, basketball long tennis among others, the complex also boasts of 14 training football pitches catering for over 104 football clubs.
Addressing journalists at end of the inspection, Dalung described Kano State as a sports-friendly and sports-loving state where investors in the sports sector have great potentials for high returns on their investment. He also commended the state government for its massive investment in sports but added that much more still needed to be done in upgrading the facilities on ground. He said while a lot has been achieved in area of indoor facilities at the Sport Institute of the Kano State University of Technology, more efforts are still needed in the provision of standard outdoor games facilities.
