Dalung: National Sports Reform Committee report will be implemented

THE Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung has assured that the report of the National Sports Reform Committee will be implemented.

Receiving the report presented by the 13-man committee at the Abuja National Stadium on Thursday, Barrister Dalung stated that he was aware of public skepticism and criticism which greeted the setting up of the committee.

"There is a fear and apprehension on whether or not this report will be implemented. This fear and apprehension has its roots in the historical antecedent of the way past governments have treated previous reports of similar committees. I want to assure Nigerians and members of this committee that we will implement this report".

Barrister Dalung however hinted that not all aspects of the report will be implemented immediately within the tenure of the present administration but that the ministry will do its best to get the train moving.

"We will identify the foundational issues and hit the road running. The ministry will organize a stakeholder's validation meeting in October to review and adopt the document as property of the Nigerian Sports Sector" Dalung stated.

Barr. Solomon Dalung receiving the National Sports Reform report from the Committee’s Chairman, Godwin Kienka

In his presentation, the Chairman of the National Sports Reform Committee Godwin Kienka thanked the minister for entrusting the members with such a Herculean but interesting task.   

"We put everything in the public domain so that stakeholders can contribute and be part of the process. We thank all selfless sports lovers, resource persons and stakeholders who presented position papers and made presentations at our retreats. We have worked so hard to put this work together and guarantee that if 80% of this report is implemented, Nigeria will be among the top 10 nations at the 2024 Olympics and sports in all its ramifications will contribute at least $5billion USD to the Nigerian economy in the next 10 years" Kienka said.

The National Sports Reform Committee was set up three months ago to proffer ways of restructuring the sports architecture of the country.