Stakeholders Discuss Sports Development in North-West

By Dipo Olowookere

Stakeholders in the sports industry in the North West region of Nigeria are gathering in Kaduna State for their second quarterly meeting.

The meeting commenced on Monday, June 7 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium Media Centre, Kaduna and will end on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.

Top on the agenda is how to develop the sector in the grassroots as well as the performance of the region at the recently-concluded 20th National Sports Festival tagged Edo-2020 as well as the maiden edition of the National Principal Cup at states, zonal and national level.

It was gathered that the event is being organised by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, North West Zone, according to a statement signed by the Zonal Sports Co-ordinator, Mr Idris Abdullahi.

In the statement, it was disclosed that the meeting would also serve as an avenue for deliberations on the forthcoming intra-zonal U-17 Volleyball Championship scheduled for the last week of this month as well as to discuss preparations for North-West states participation at the 6th edition of National Youth Games (NYG) Zonal Teams Sports Eliminations and the tournament proper, including the hosting of proposed sports and related activities within the zone and sponsorship drive for zonal sports and related activities for the third and fourth quarter of the year.

The Zonal Coordinator stressed that the meeting would also serve as an avenue for sensitization and awareness briefs on health services and capacity building programme by MARKANA- Sports and Empire Nigeria Consultants most especially as the programme is National Institute of Sports (NIS) accredited and compliant.

He further said the stakeholders will carry out an inspection of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium Youth Development Volleyball Temporary Court constructed by Engineer Musa Nimrod, Chairman Caretaker Committee, the Nigerian Volleyball Federation (NVBF).

“The meeting is powered by Mr Babangida Hussain, Chairman Jigawa State Weightlifting Association and supported by Surajo Yusuf, Board Member Zamfara State Basketball Association,” he said.