Nigeria’s long jump star, Ese Brume, on Wednesday was full of praise for the chieftains of the National Sports Commission (NSC) led by chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and Director-General, Hon. Bukola Olopade.
Speaking at an event to unveil Brume as the first athlete to benefit from Adopt-an-athlete partnership with Confetti Assets Limited at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, Brume profusely thanked the NSC DG Olopade for the kind gesture and grant she received through a video call to the athletes who is currently recuperating from a ghastly motor accident she suffered few days ago.
“Thank you so much, I appreciate your support and this would go a long way in helping me,” she said.
The NSC’s Adopt-an-athlete partnership is targeted at giving training grants to 100 athletes (local and international) to enable them prepare adequately for international meets.
This initiative is aimed at getting Nigeria ready for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, the Commonwealth games, African Games and the World Athletic Championship after the disappointing outing at the Paris 2024 Games with Team Nigeria returning home with zero-medal despite the federal government committing N9bn to the games.
Speaking at the event to mark the partnership with Confetti Assets Limited, Mallam Shehu Dikko commended Confetti Assets Limited for its generous support.
He reiterated the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to drive sports development in Nigeria through a sustainable public-private partnership (PPP) model.
“We must create a system that does not solely depend on government funding but rather leverages private sector partnerships to achieve a thriving sports economy,” Dikko said.
The DG explained that the Commission has activated an innovative approach to raising funds for athlete development, elite sports, and grassroots initiatives.
“We have an ingenious way of raising funds through donations. With the Chairman’s approval, we approached key stakeholders, particularly contractors involved in developing sports infrastructure nationwide. We told them it was time they started donating to a fund dedicated to grassroots development, elite athletes, and federations,” he revealed.
The Director General described the moment as symbolic, as it marked the official rollout of the Adopt-the-Athlete initiative under the new NSC, with Brume as its first beneficiary while emphasizing the Commission’s commitment to athlete welfare and development.
“While we were strategizing, something unfortunate happened to Ese Brume. She was involved in a ghastly motor accident, but to God be the glory, her life was spared,” Olopade said.
“When we spoke, I asked her what I could tell the Chairman to do for her immediately. She made me proud when she said, ‘All I need right now is whatever the Commission can give me as a training grant to help me buy a small vehicle so I can continue my training because I want to win the World Championship in September next year.’ That touched me deeply,” Olopade said.
“Today is very significant as we collect the first training grant for the first athlete in a program we plan to launch fully in February 2025. And that first athlete is none other than Brume, arguably one of the most decorated athletes Nigeria has ever produced,” Olopade declared.
On his part, the Chairman of Confetti Assets Limited, Mr. Benjamin Jonathan Ngoka, expressed his commitment to the initiative, pledging continued support for Nigeria’s sports sector.
“We are happy to key into this new vision for Nigerian sports. We understand the mandate of the National Sports Commission and will continue to play our part in supporting athletes and the broader vision of sports development,” Ngoka said.
The Adopt-the-Athlete initiative aims to provide financial support for Nigerian athletes’ training and development, ensuring they have the resources needed to compete at the highest levels of global sports.
With the backing of strategic partners like Confetti Assets Limited, the initiative is expected to significantly impact the careers of elite and grassroots athletes alike.
