Special Assistant on Youth and Sports to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Comrade Olamide Lawal has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to give adequate attention on grassroots sports development in the country.
Comrade Lawal in an Exclusive chat with Owosports.com.ng, believed that the recent failures of Flying Eagles of Nigeria at the WAFU zone B African U20 Nations Cup qualifiers is attributed to the of lack of proper grassroots development.
“It is quite disheartening that Nigerian football is actually deteriorating so to say because of what we have been able to do, the government in all ramifications has failed to develop sports.
“Grassroots sports development is in shambles and that is where we get talent from, but what do we get now, they don’t develop sports at the grassroots level they don’t make the sport attractive again, whoever is talented in this field should be encouraged, that is why you see them failed at that level, within WAFU we are still failing we that are giants of Africa.
“The government must place premium attention to grassroots sports development if truly they really want the sport and Nigeria as a whole to be placed at the optimum within it pairs.
He also highlighted some of the impact made by the Executive Governor of Ogun State Prince Dapo Abiodun, which where lacking in previous administration, also exalted the governor’s love for grassroots Sports development in the state.
“Thank God we have a sports and youth loving Governor in Ogun State who have been doing his best, what the state has not witnessed in the previous admiration in the last one year we have been witnessing it.
“The Governor has renovated two stadium out of four and also has organised several sporting events, it unfortunate that the coronavirus actually disturbed so many things, but last year he facilitated two global even in sports sector by organising Abeokuta Race and Remo Ultra Race, this year as well we had the Dapo Abiodun pre-season tourney that was held in Ijebu Ode. The Stadium that was not touched in the last eight years has been given a facelift so also Sagamu and very soon Abeokuta will also get appropriate attention before we move to Ilaro and the Muda Lawal Stadium through public private partnership, there is an ongoing discussion with a private investor to come take that place up and make it a morden sporting facilities, this are all we are doing to make sure that we develop many hidden talents in the Sporting sector, these are things we must make attractive to engaging the youth and the Governor is not relenting.
He also talked about his relationship with the commissioner of youth and Sports in the state, adding that he is always carried along in all that they do in the state.
“Of course there is a synergy, everything that I do I carry the commissioner for Youth and Sports along we have to show team spirit in everything that we do, the commissioner for youth and Sports is the head of the Youth in Ogun State he sees to the affairs of every sporting and youth related activities so we work hand in hand, he is always well briefed in everything that we do.
