Sports Minister Move to Reposition Sports As Business In Nigeria - Partners with NESG

The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development have partnered with the National Economic Summit Group (NESG) to reposition sports as a business in Nigeria after holding their first inter-ministerial summit on sports development.

And in line with achieving their goal, the ministry will hold the first inter-ministerial technical session on sports this very week to address the needs of the sports sector.

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare , is very much eager to reposition sports as a business and no longer a social service sector in order to make it more attractive to the Organized Private Sector.

According to Head, Corporate Communications at NESG, Yinka Iyinolakan, the summit is an outcome of a meeting between the Minister and the NESG. Iyinolakan said:

 “The ministry and the NESG resolved to escalate the conversation on the need to institutionalize sports as a private sector led industry in line with global best practices and the agenda to develop youth-based vibrant sectors to drive the Nigerian economy.

“Consequently, the ministry consented to the plan to host the First Inter-Ministerial Technical Session on Sports Industry Development scheduled to hold on Thursday, November 21 and Friday 22 at the VIP Lounge of Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja FCT.

“But for other logistical considerations, the venue has now shifted to the NESG Office at Unity Tower, Herbert Macaulay Way, Abuja.”

According to Iyinolakan, “the technical session will bring together seven ministers from selected key ministries, including education, information and culture, women affairs, industry, trade and investment, finance, budget and national planning, youth and sports development and humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development.

“They will brainstorm in sector-specific breakout sessions and harmonise cross-cutting, cross-sectorial issues with significant impact on the development of a reformed and repositioned sports industry in the country.”

He further said that “the inter-ministerial technical session would develop a pathway for constant dialogue and engagement between the private and public sectors to chart a sustainable course for unlocking the potential of the sports industry and create enabling development of the whole gamut of the value chain of sports.”

Apart from the seven ministers, the summit will also “feature heads of their relevant departments and agencies as well as selected chieftains from various economic sectors, multilateral agencies, social enterprise organisations and experts in both academic and practice of sports,” Iyinolakan submitted.