Sports

Senator John Owan Enoh: A Blessing to the Nigerian Sports Industry

Published

12 months ago

May 15, 2024

The Nigerian sports industry has long awaited a leader with the passion, dedication, and strategic acumen to elevate it to greater heights. The emergence of Senator John Owan Enoh as the Minister of Sports Development has breathed new life into the industry, bringing with it a wave of optimism and progress.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to sports development was evident from the outset, as he took the decisive step of unbundling the sports ministry from youth development. This move proved to be a masterstroke, setting the stage for success in the sports industry. Under Senator Enoh’s leadership, the Ministry of Sports has flourished, guided by a strong framework for success.

In a dedicated effort to fortify and enhance the sports landscape in Nigeria, Senator John Owan Enoh unveiled a comprehensive six-point agenda known as W.A.I.F.A.R. This agenda, encompassing welfare, activation of grassroots sports development, infrastructure development, funding for sports development, reorganization of sports federations, and revitalization of school sports, represents a pivotal step towards transforming the sports industry.

Senator Enoh’s leadership has yielded tangible results, as evidenced by Nigeria’s rancor-free AFCON campaign earlier this year, which culminated in a silver medal in Cote d’Ivoire. His expert management ensured a smooth and successful campaign, demonstrating his ability to lead from the front and curtail potential issues. In a testament to Senator Enoh’s passion and commitment, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved a substantial N12 billion disbursement to address outstanding payments owed to Nigeria’s national teams and boost morale ahead of the African Cup of Nations. Senator Enoh’s proactive approach and decisive action exemplify true leadership.

The same success was achieved when Team Nigeria competed in Ghana alongside other African nations at the 2023 African Games. Asides sweeping a record-breaking number of medals in a lot of sports and other accomplishments, the campaign was free of major controversies and distractions. Nigeria had finished second behind Egypt while showing dominance in a number of sports.

The country is headed for the Olympic Games, and over the weekend, it clinched four additional Olympic Games events during the World Relays Championship in the Bahamas.

Nigeria’s sports landscape is on the cusp of a transformative period under Senator John Owan Enoh’s leadership. With the dusting up of the 10-year football masterplan and the establishment of a ministerial high-performance committee for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Nigeria is poised for unprecedented success on the global stage.

In an unprecedented achievement, Nigeria participated in the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea, marking its first-ever appearance in the history of the event. This milestone, made possible under Senator Enoh’s visionary leadership, showcases Nigeria’s commitment to excellence and inclusivity in sports.

Senator John Owan Enoh’s impact as the Minister of Sports Development is undeniable, and his innovative initiatives and unwavering dedication have positioned Nigeria for greatness in the world of sports. He is indeed a blessing to Nigeria, and his legacy will endure for generations to come.

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Sports

Chinese Embassy seeks better Collaboration with the National Sports Commission

Published

17 mins ago

May 13, 2025

The Gleamer

…Commit to establishing a dedicated China-Nigeria Sports communication channel

Joel Ajayi

The Chinese Government has intensified bilateral relationships with the Nigerian Government through the National Sports Commission, NSC, following the visa glitch that led to Team Nigeria withdrawing from the World relays in Guangzhou, China.

This landmark feat was achieved when officials of the Chinese Embassy paid a diplomatic visit to the leadership of the National Sports Commission.
Culture Counselor of the Chinese Embassy Yang Jian Xing expressed regrets over the visa challenges that prompted Nigeria to withdraw from the World relays and pledged China’s commitments to the country’s vision for Sports Development.

” I want to describe what has happened as an accident and we are sorry and we regret it in its entirety. We are here to let the Sports Commission know that the Chinese Government holds Nigeria of high esteem”.

” We are open to better collaboration with the National Sports Commission to boost diplomatic ties of both China and Nigeria in terms of Sports Training and Exchange programmes”.

” Once again I want to assure you that from next time we will try our best for this not to repeat itself again and we will also like to create a special channel for a China and Nigeria Sports Communication”, he added.

Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, said the Commission has accepted the gestures of regrets by the Chinese Government and are ready to foster better collaboration for the future.

” We are very happy to receive officials from the Chinese Embassy in our office today and it shows the Chinese Government genuine disappointment for what happened which for us is a huge sign of better things to come between both countries especially in Sports”.

” We should at all times try to create positives out of things like this and we are happy that this has further strengthened our relationship with the Chinese Embassy”.

The Director General of the NSC Hon. Bukola Olopade reiterated the Commission’s desire to build stronger sporting ties with China and allowed the incident of the visa glitch to serve as a springboard to a robust working relationship.

” Your humility and diplomacy is the best I have seen anywhere and I am very grateful that you best described the incident between the AFN, the Commission and your embassy as an accident and we have all agreed to take it as such and move forward to better things”.

” I want to thank you for everything and for the request for exchange programmes and training for our media and Sports men and women.This is truly worthy of note . We are looking forward to a bigger and better relationship between Nigeria and China”, he concluded.

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