The National Sports Commission (NSC) recently held elections in 18 federations, leading to the swearing-in of new presidents and board members at the Moshood Abiola Stadium.
The newly elected leaders stressed the importance of being accountable and transparent, as they will be responsible for growing their federations and expanding their reach.
Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, congratulated the newly elected members for being chosen by their peers, stakeholders, and the nation. He said the election is a call to serve with responsibility, innovation, and by contributing to the economy through sports.
Dikko also mentioned the need for cooperation among all stakeholders, including athletes, coaches, officials, and administrators, and for unity within each federation under the new agenda.
He pointed out that responsibility is not just a formality but requires active, innovative, and result-driven leaders who will turn investments into real outcomes such as competitive athletes, good governance, capacity building, resource mobilization, infrastructure use, youth and grassroots engagement, integrity, and anti-doping efforts.
Director General of the National Sports Commission, Honourable Bukola Olopade, praised the Chairman for his leadership during the election process and acknowledged his role in the progress made. He commended the Directors and Electoral Officers for their integrity and hard work, and also recognized the effort of the outgoing administrators.
Olopade appreciated the Federal Government’s support for sports development through infrastructure improvement, athlete welfare programs, grassroots initiatives, and high-performance systems.
He addressed the newly elected board members, stressing that their job includes developing competitive athletes, implementing good governance, building capacity, mobilizing resources, using infrastructure, engaging youth and grassroots levels, ensuring transparency and effectiveness in domestic competitions that generate economic value, contributing to national development, and promoting patriotism.
Honourable Bukola urged the new board members to set high standards based on their roles and asked them what they would write on the new slate given to them.
He asked them to serve with integrity, lead with vision, deliver results, and emphasized the importance of accountability and sustainability in all their work.
The NSC is devoted to maintaining accountability through good governance, transparency, and efficient management. It expects new leaders to be active, innovative, and focused on creating real achievements for Nigeria’s sports growth. The Commission also promises support and accountability in managing sports affairs.
The Comptroller General of the Customs Service, Adeniýi Bashir, thanked the Federal Government for their support, acknowledged the leadership of the Commission, and expressed appreciation for their visionary policies that have led to sports success. He praised the electoral committee for a job well done.
The President of the Cricket Federation, Mr. Uyi Akpata, also commended the NSC leadership for their support and commitment towards developing grassroots sports in Nigeria, which has been followed by all the federations.
Elections for the Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria were postponed to a later date.
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