Honourable Ekene solicits media synergy on sports development

Chairman House Committee on Sports Honourable Ekene Abubakar Adams says a healthy synergy with the media, can propel the growth of the sporting industry in Nigeria as they seek more corporate Nigeria funding of the sector.

Adams, a member representing Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency in Kaduna State was named chairman of the sports committee in the 10th House of Representatives two week ago.

In his second interactive session with the sporting media in Ikenne that had top Sports Editors and Sports Bloggers in attendance, after he did same in Abuja, the former General Manager of Remo Stars, solicited support of the fourth estate of the realm and unity of all stakeholders to bringing back the lost glory in sports in Nigeria.

"I know the important role the media plays and for Nigeria sports to achieve its desired goal, the House Committee on Sports seeks a good synergy with the sporting media.

"The stakeholders in the sports sector all need to embrace peace, as an enabling environment can make sports thrive as we seek to empower our youths.

"As Chairman of House Committee on Sports; my team and I, have embarked on a journey. We will consult widely by meeting sports technocrats and corporate Nigeria to see how we can revive and achieve success in our sports."

Honourable Ekene Adams, responding on the issues of sports policy implementation and how his committee intends to work with a yet to be named Minister for Sports and Youth Development.

"Implementation of these policies has been the issue, but am aware that the National Sports Commission bill had been passed by the 9th assembly, as what is left is for the executive to sign it into law. I want to assure the media that the 10th assembly will do all it can to making sure that the bill see the light of the day.

"On the question of the Sports Minister, am quite sure that the new Minister won't have a selfish interest in sports, as he too wants to match the standard left by Sunday Dare and possibly raise the bar. So as Chairman of House Committee on Sports, we will share with him a common ideology, all geared towards the growth of sports and youth development."

"I want to say this before you that, it's time we put behind our selfish interests, greed and let technocrats to come and manage sports in Nigeria.

"Sport belongs to the private sector, as you don't relegate corporate Nigeria and think they will invest in our sports. If we wust see sports funding beyond government, then we must focus on corporate NIgeria.

"Corporate Nigeria won't come to our sports if we don't give them assurances as regards tax rebates and if the media reports the negatives. So it's time we begin to change the narratives."

Silas Agara stresses need for robust synergy with media to attract sponsors for NLO

 

Former Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, His Excellency Silas Agara has stressed the need for the Nationwide League One to have a good synergy with the media, as it bids to getting brands attention by way of sponsorships. 

Agara, who leads the newly constituted Board of the nation's third-tier domestic football league in his first official interaction with NLO Media Channel talked about his Board's plans.

"Its an opportunity to serve, I’m always available when my services is needed. This is a call to duty, provide leadership to our teeming youths, with Board Members cut across the six geo-political zones. We met once as a board, immediately after the inauguration and set agendas for ourselves. 

"We hope to meet in the next few days to review the entire structure of the Nationwide League One. We are quite aware of the challenges on ground, they’re surmountable. Luckily, we have persons that are knowledgeable in the league, who are proprietors of some of the clubs and are members of the board. With their worth of experience and that of the two State Football Association (State FA) Chairmen on the Board, it's certain we can make a headway.

"This a league that has over 300 clubs, a platform where you have young Nigerians with the age bracket of 14 to 19-years-old, plying their trade and looking for opportunities to get exposed. The challenges are there, however too early to make public our plans as we have just been inaugurated but I can assure you that there is going to be a change of direction."

"We want to have a good synergy with the media, as that’s the best way we can showcase the NLO. We can do this by getting the right reportage and off course brands that will sponsor the league. Without the right media coverage of NLO activities to a global audience, sponsorship won’t come.

"We need the media to reach out to these top brands, and off course intending sponsors have to rely on the good reportage of the league and not negative ones, for them to make critical decisions. If we don't have that understanding with the media, we can't fly our kite regarding sponsorship. We also need to woo the media and bring our plans to the league on the table for them to see and help us reach out to Nigerians.

"The need to getting our officiating right is also another key area we want to look into. Once we have officiating in the league professionally done, with match officials well catered for and not left at the mercies of clubs, footing the bills, this will bring some level of sanity to the league.

"We’re also looking at the home and away match format, and the different ones for the league, to see how we can reduce the burden for the clubs, as many are not making profits yet. At the moment, I will plead with Nigerians to give the new NLO Board a few time, with the assurance that in the next week's, we should be able to take proper stock of what is on ground, know the reforms to introduce and above all get the right sponsors for the league.

I'm delighted with what I have seen on ground, the Chief Operating Officer (Olushola Ogunnowo) has done well for the league and now he has got a Board that will support him."

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On plans for next season's NLO Youth League: "We are monitoring events at this edition and surely will proffer solutions to the loopholes from what we have seen from the maiden edition. The Board, really has no much time as our tenure is for two years, however, since we have been given the marching order by the NFF, our job is to address issues and improve on what's on ground."