Football, according to President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retired), is still Nigeria’s most popular sport and a national treasure.
Buhari asserts that his government will fend off any efforts to interfere with its advancement.
He made this statement on Tuesday in Abuja after receiving the 10-year Football Development Master Plan delivered by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare.
NOTABLE QUOTE
The president said:
“It is the responsibility of the government to safeguard the sport, which has brought Nigeria many laurels, and treat (sic) it as a national asset, just as I expect and demand a higher standard of patriotism, responsibility, and commitment from those charged with the administration of our football.”
“We have seen attempts to disrespect and undermine the institutions supervising our sports. We have seen attempts to subjugate national interest for narrow interest or disrespect the laws of Nigeria. Nigeria will not take lightly any attempt to inflict injury on its football fortunes.”
The President took advantage of the opportunity to outline his goals for the two-volume report.
He gave the Nigeria Football Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development the order to start the implementation process in stages.
According to him, this should be done within the precise parameters of the pertinent provisions of the Nigerian legislation on sports development and the FIFA statutes.
He added:
“This government is interested in developing a football culture that will accommodate global best practices. This will also help the nation to lay a solid foundation for domestic football and to put in place professionally and efficiently run leagues.”
“It will also help in entrenching a consistent and stable football calendar and create a value chain which will boost the sports ecosystem.”
Achieving this, he claimed, would ensure the necessary advancement in national and international competitions.
President Buhari concluded by saying:
“I know that a lot of work went into putting this 10-year master plan together. I received regular briefings on the work being done and I am happy that our goal has been achieved.”
