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Why We Can’t Maintain Abuja National Stadium Effectively-Dalung

Published

5 years ago

April 19, 2019

Why We Can’t Maintain Abuja National Stadium Effectively-Dalung

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung has identified inadequate of fund and manner with which they the stadiums are constructed which did not take into consideration future plan of maintenance of stadium as the reasons why Nigeria stadias scattered around the country cannot be properly maintain.

He gave this revelation in Abuja when Aljazirah Nigeria Sports visited him in his office to make a clarification on why Abuja National Stadium that suppose to be National monument that has turn to a national disgrace.

It will be recalled that, for many years Abuja National stadium is yet to honoured any match be it National or international match due to the bad pitch.

While making clarification, the minister said the sport in Nigeria is under funded and meager amount of money approve for the sports cannot take sports sector to the next level.

According to him, the problem with National Stadium is that the manner with which they are constructed did not take into consideration future plan of maintenance sustainance, the construction of the National Stadium was done in a manner that maintance becomes imposbible expect contractors sustain of maintenance as a contract.

“Government signed a maintance contract with the contractor at rate of 2billion annually but government could not continue it so, they abandoned it. And the budget approved budget cannot maintain that particular edifice that is a known fact.

“The annual budget of maintance sometimes is 200 million or 150 million for all the sporting facilities in Nigeria. The Kaduna, Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja, Bauchi and Enugu

The budget is not even enough for the running of the generators and their maintance.

“200million alone cannot maintain even Abuja national stadium, if the sum of 1.5 billion is given we can use manage but that is the situation we found ourselves.

“So, that is the situation now, we have been managing from our overheads and trying to keep the stadium going, we have been managing the stadium, sometimes, when we have events taking place there, we mobilise intervention funds to try to update some of the facilities.

“At its intervention fund that we normally bank on whenever we have critical event to maintain the facilities .”

He however, commended the president Muhammadu Buhari for his unflinching supports and his magnaniminality to always make intervention fund available for sports sector.

Minister equally called on the president to continue his initiative toward the growth and development of sports in Nigeria.

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FG to Harness the Digital Economy to Empower Youth

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2024

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Honourable Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande has disclosed that the Federal Government is making efforts to harness the potentials of the digital economy in empowering the youth and creating sustainable jobs.

He made this disclosure in Abuja when he received the participants of the Senior Executive Course 46, 2024 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State who were on study tour to the Ministry.

Mr Olawande said over 50% of the population below the age of 30 have a significant demographic advantage in the digital age.

“Our youths are tech-savvy, innovative and eager to contribute to the country’s economic growth. However, they face numerous challenges including limited access to quality education, skills training and job opportunities.

The digital economy offers a unique opportunity for Nigeria to leapfrog traditional development challenges. With the rise of e-commerce, digital payments and remote work”. “Our youths can assess global markets, skills training and job opportunities like never before,” he added.

According to the Minister, challenges hindering the growth of the digital economy in Nigeria must be addressed.
He explained that to overcome the challenges, the Ministry has implemented initiatives such as digital skills training programs for youths, focusing on areas like software development, data analytics and digital marketing especially in the NYSC.

This, he disclosed is alongside partnering with Galaxy Back Bone to improve infrastructure, Internet connectivity and alternative electricity supply as well as funding opportunities such as grants, loans and venture capital for startups of small businesses with launching of the National Youth Investment Fund.

The Honourable Minister who hinted that the Ministry’ s goal is to create an ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for youth stated: ” We recognise that sustainable job creation is critical to Nigeria ‘s economic growth and stability”

”I urge you all to join us in this journey to harness the potential of the digital economy for youth empowerment and sustainable job creation in Nigeria.”, he added.

Mr Olawande further said that the opportunities and challenges underscore the need for a collaborative effort from all stakeholders to harness the potential of the digital economy for sustainable development.

The Minister who observed that there is a gap between the Government and the young people expressed his heartfelt desire for the Youths of the nation to feel the Government. He opined that the country has the most intelligent youths in the world.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation from NIPSS, Barrister Nima Salman Mann, mni said they are in the Ministry to research, proffer solutions, recommendations and strategies to help Government chart its course for the the year, with the theme : ‘Digital Economy, Youth Empowerment and Sustainable Job Creation in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities’.

.She also added that Ministry of Youth Development is very germane to this year’s theme .” We are with the Ministry of Youth to listen to what you are doing to help the youth, how you are doing it, strategic plans and way forward as well as how we can use the digital economy to chart the goal for sustainable job creation,” she concluded.

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