My priority is to develop viable sports economy, says new NSC chairman

Shehu Dikko, the newly appointed chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), has emphasised that his major priority is establishing a robust and profitable sports economy for the country.

Dikko made this statement on Wednesday in Abuja during the formal handover from the former Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, held at the Moshood Abiola national stadium office.

Dikko said his mission was not to engage in quick fixes or just win medals for the country but to holistic sports development in line with international best practices.

”The objective of Mr President is to harness the full potential of the sports economy in Nigeria.

”So we have to change our mindset from the fixation of just competitions and winning medals and come back and fix our domestic sports development.

”When we set the foundation right, the results and the winning of medals will naturally come sustainably, and that should be the new mindset,” he said.

Dikko said part of his mission was to ensure that sports become a money-spinner and contribute at least three per cent to the nation’s GDP in the next four years.

”The thinking of Mr President is that after having some of these structures in place, we should be able to measure the country’s sports by its contribution to the nation’s GDP by at least three percent.

“We should also be able to measure the number of jobs sports creates and its value chain in the country in the next four to five years and indeed our competitiveness across all competitions and tournaments,” he said.

The former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) second vice president said he would focus on three pillars: a proper legal framework, world-class infrastructure, and using sports to drive the economy.

“Our administration will be focused on three pillars, including running sports as a national asset that is entitled to special privileges, regulations, and concessions to drive growth and development.

”We have to also work on legislation and regulations to set the framework to enable the industry to grow effectively, like what happened in the communications industry some years back.

”The other pillar is investing in purposeful, world-class infrastructure that will provide an enabling environment for growth,” he added.

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Dikko called on all stakeholders to support the new NSC in its drive to reposition and transform sports development in the country.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Shehu Dikko on 23 October as Chairman of the National Sports Commission.

This was after the president scrapped the Ministry of Sports Development and transferred its functions to the NSC to revitalise the nation’s sports economy and improve performance in international competitions.

NAN