Worries over absence of sports technocrat among ministerial nominees

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu PHOTO: Twitter/DOlusegun

As Nigerians wait for President Bola Tinubu to assign portfolio to his newly selected ministers, many stakeholders in sports business are worried over the absence of a sports technocrat on the list.

To them, Tinubu is already toeing the same path laid by past presidents, who appointed ‘outsiders’ to head the sports sector. This, they said, has hindered the country’s sports development since the return of civilian government in 1999.

From the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration in 1999 till date, 15 politicians have held the portfolio as sports ministers. They are Damishi Sango, late Engr. Mark Aku, Steven Ibn Akiga (also late), Col. Musa Mohammed (rtd), Dr. Saidu Sambawa, Bala Ka’Oje, Abdulrahman Gimba, Sani Ndanusa, Alhaji Ibrahim Isa Bio, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Tamuno Danagogo, Solomon Dalung and Sunday Dare.

In the good days of Nigerian sports, scores of companies, including Coca-Cola, Cadbury, Pepsi, Chevron, Nigerian Breweries and Elephant Cement fell over themseves in their bid to key into the activities of the various sports federations.

Such sponsorship gave players opportunity to win various prizes, as well as improve on their skills in preparation for major competitions. It also took the pressure of funding off from government. But those good days are gone, leaving behind a dry period for the industry, no thanks to the activities of sports administrators, who capitalise on the ‘windfall’ from government to enrich themselves.

President Tinubu, a sports lover, recently forwarded a list of ministerial nominees to the Senate with no fewer than five former governors. The list has been cleared, with the nominees