ABUJA – Director-General, National Sports Commission, Alhassan Yakmut has appealed to President Mohamadu Buhari to allow a percentage of proceeds of the Nigeria Lottery Trust Fund for development of sports in Nigeria.
The DG made the appeal after briefing President Buhari on the activities of his Commission at the presidential Villa yesterday in Abuja.
He commended the federal government for being the highest financier of sports in Nigeria, stating that a lot also needed in exploiting opportunities in the medials won in swimming competition.
“We briefed Mr. President on sports development in Nigeria and its retinue of social economic values.
“Mr. President was impressed with the presentation but he raised observation on the need for us to rekindle the exploitation of the medals available in swimming in order to make Nigeria top in All African Games table in future and that is actually the presidential observation that we have taken technical interest to ensure that it is implemented to the letter.
“You know that we also have cultures that are oriented with gymnastics and that culture is the one that we will first of all technically invest in terms of facilities, coaches and programmes to make sure we compete with others.
“Yes, we did discussed funding. But rather in discussion of funding we commended the Federal Government for being the highest financier of sports in Nigeria. And we also sought for his intervention to encourage the private sector to do the same with their budget for corporate social responsibility to promote sports.
“And we also requested that his Execellency should intervene to allow the Nigeria Lottery Trust Fund to also channel a good percentage of the resources or funds available in the Fund for sports development as quoted in the Act that establishes it.
“The Act says: ‘The Funds in the Lottery Trust Fund are supposed to be disbursed for sports and other courses.’ But we are yet to see that in a good percentage in order to encourage grassroot sports”, the DG told State House Correspondents in an interview.
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