Sports in Nigeria: challenges and the way forward

Over the years various governments in Nigerian has neglected sports in the country; and now that we need the glory and the unity that comes with success and triumph in sport, these effects of neglects are now biting us when we needed it most.

Sports everywhere in the world are essential source of unity and source of revenue to the government and to the private sectors. Nigeria today is far from the glory days when countries around Africa envied the position of Nigeria, in weight lifting, athletics and in football; some will say the so called Giant of Africa, bestowed on Nigeria was because of the success and strides made from sports by various teams from our country Nigeria.

Sports in other developing nations of the world are used to engage the restless youths, Governments in other countries uses sports to rehabilitates young men and women from drugs and violence, thus they invest and make provision for sport development in their country, but In Nigeria the case is the reverse; In the process of engaging the youths in Sports in other countries, there have been stories of great talents discovered that become success stories in athletics, weight lifting and in football.

Let’s us use football for example, the Fifa ranking of Nigeria in recent times have shown that the country has a long way to go,  the super Eagles are no longer flying, the management of the Nigeria football  league appears to have ran out of ideas on how to make the league more attractive for sponsors.

Nigerians no longer show interest when the super eagles are playing football, to the extent that when the super eagles are playing, most people now prefer to watch the English premier league than to watch the super eagles play. The various coaches over the years even go abroad to watch non performing players who are mostly beached, than to watch and scout for local players here in the country, a coach will give excuse that local players lack experience thus fielding foreign base players who don’t play active football all year round, the result has been non qualification to major tournaments like the nation cups and world cup.

Other countries in Africa that use to look up to Nigeria in football and other major sports now strive to stop Nigeria in Major tournaments and sometimes beats the Nigeria teams. There are numerous examples of countries stopping the so-called giant of Africa, from qualifying for major competition like the African Nation cup which is supposed to be a walk over for Nigeria, because our country Nigeria has so much potential that has gone untapped over the years.

Take a look at the Glo African player of the year competition coming up this January! There are no Nigerians in the final three, the last time a Nigeria won this prestigious glory was when Kanu Nwankwo won it about 10 years ago.

I think the Government and the private sector should come in and rescue the various sport in Nigeria before it get worse than the current situation.

Some Have said that there is hope and perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel with the young players from the under 17 eaglets and the Dream team led by Samson Siasia, who just won the under 23 Africa championship and qualified us for the Olympics in Brazil.

Maybe this is the hope and opportunity we need to build on these successes and manage these young talents nurturing them to the National Team (Super Eagles). Maybe we might be heading back to the glory days in the 80’s and 90’s when Nigeria ruled the continent of Africa in Football and other major sporting tournaments.

Nigeria has always dominated the continent of Africa in Football and major sports, bringing Pride and glory to the country, with the recent successes witness by the younger generation in Football, I will suggest that the Nigeria government and the private sector should take this opportunity and invest in these crops of young talents.

The Government should provide the conducive environment and the private sector to sponsor most of this local team so as to build on the recent strides made by the teams, to assist in bringing back the glory days of Nigeria in football.

The present Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has promised Nigerians change and we all are hoping for that change to touch all sectors of the country, The recent visit of the minister of sports and youth development to the dilapidated National stadium in surulere was received by many in the sporting sector as a step in the right direction, I am personally very happy that at last the government is going to be fulfilling its promises to all Nigerians. 

Sport can be a great way to tackling the unemployment in the country and it’s a great way to generating revenue to the government of any country and in Nigeria, sports could bring the much needed unity we all are craving for in Nigeria.

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