Sports

Nigeria’s Amputee Football Team Thumbs Up Sports Minister Over Support

Published

5 years ago

November 21, 2021

The Nigeria Amputee Football National Team (Special Eagles) has appreciated the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare for refunding the World Amputee Football Federation annual due and for approving the National Institute For Sports (NIS)for their camping as they prepare for the Amputee Football Nations Cup in Tanzania(CANAF 2021).

Sarafadeen Olalekan Oyeleke, who is the captain of the Special Eagles said the support given the team by the Minister and the Ministry will spur them to give their best in Tanzania.

According to Oyeleke, “When you get this kind of support, then you know the nation is solidly behind you and you are inspired to give your hundred percent. That is exactly what we will do in Tanzania.

“We thank the Minister for refunding to us the annual dues that we paid to the World Amputee Football Federation and approving our camping at the NIS,” he added.

The Sports Minister had earlier charged the team to work hard and be good ambassadors of the country at the Amputee Football showpiece.

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Sports

Tinubu, Fashola, Governors, UNESCO, Sports Leaders to Headline National Grassroots Sports Summit

Published

2 hours ago

October 29, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The stage is being set for a landmark gathering at the Presidential Villa as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, and leading figures from government, sports administration and international development feature in the proposed opening-day programme of the National Grassroots Sports Development Summit 2026.

In a statement signed by Thursday by the Chairperson Media Sub-com National Grassroot Sports Summit Dr. (Mrs.) Kehinde Ajayi stated that, the two-day Summit, scheduled for November 18–19, 2026, at the Banquet Hall, State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja, is being organized by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye.

With the theme “Creating a New Pathway for Sustainable Grassroots Sports Development,” the gathering seeks to produce practical solutions to Nigeria’s longstanding challenges in talent discovery, infrastructure, funding, coaching and athlete development.

The opening day, Wednesday, November 18, promises high-level engagement, with President Tinubu listed as Special Guest of Honour, while Fashola is scheduled to deliver a keynote address.

Also featuring in the Day One programme is Dr. Tayo Aduloju, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), whose organization has been engaged as technical partner to help translate discussions into a workable development roadmap.

Other personalities and institutions on the opening-day lineup include the Chairman and Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko and Hon. Bukola Olopade; the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum; the President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON); and the Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Nigeria.

Also listed are Barrister Enitan Oshodi, President of the African Table Tennis Federation; the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee; and Dr. Musa Nakorji of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Research Department.

The involvement of these personalities reflects the Summit’s emphasis on connecting sports development with economic planning, education, grassroots governance, international cooperation and private-sector investment.

Adeboye described the gathering as an opportunity to move Nigerian sports beyond isolated achievements towards a coordinated national development system.

“The real question is not whether Nigeria has sporting talent.
We know we have talent in abundance. The question is how we build a system that discovers, nurtures and supports that talent consistently, from our communities and schools to the international stage,” he said.

He stressed that the participation of state governments, local councils, development institutions and sports administrators would be critical to producing lasting outcomes.

The Summit will continue on Thursday, November 19, with further stakeholder engagements aimed at developing actionable recommendations for sustainable grassroots sports development with preparations intensifying, organizers are confident that the gathering will provide a defining platform for strengthening the foundation of Nigerian sports and expanding opportunities for young people nationwide.

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