The President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Mustapha Ibaraf, announced that Nigerian and African athletes will get more scholarship grants ahead of 2028 Olympic Games, scheduled for Los Angeles in United States.
The ANOCA Chief who spoke during the virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) specifically posited that scholarship budget for athletes has now been doubled.
The ANOCA president was represented at the NOC AGM by the Director of Finance in the establishment, Dr Jonathan Dyagas.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken a significant step to elevate the nation’s sports sector by prioritising its professional management to foster a sustainable sports economy.
He noted that the government by this arrangement had initiated a shift from competition-focused, to development-driven strategies, with a commitment to grassroots sports development.
According to him, this would also aim at talent identification.
He said the key elements of this new approach would include dedicated budget provisions that also benefit Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) for the first time in as many years.
With the inclusion, the NOC would be in a position to execute the building of its permanent headquarters in Abuja.
The Committee would be in a position to support the preparations ahead of the 2028 Olympics, and support for grassroots sports programmes too.
”With the Government pledging to enhance infrastructure, including a high-performance centre and upgraded facilities, stakeholders across the sports community are urged to collaborate in this transformative vision,” he said.
Dikko said the planned initiatives would also aim at not only to creating jobs but also to reposition sports as a critical component of Nigeria’s socio-economic landscape, ensuring a robust and thriving sports industry.
Earlier, Engr. Habu Ahmed Gumel hailed all members of the Olympic family for attending the AGM even in virtual space.
