The Congress commended Governor Mohammed Umar Bago for establishing the Niger State Sports Commission (NSSC), aimed at revamping the sports sector and making it more responsive to the needs of Nigerlites.
SWAN equally commended the Niger State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development for a robust collaboration and working relationship over the years.
SWAN also applauded the founder and CEO of Jamirota Sports, Mr. Jonathan Kolo, for sponsoring and sustaining the annual Basketball clinic for 17 years uninterrupted.
The Congress equally commended the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Alhaji Nma Kolo and Mrs. Taiwo Akinkoye for their contributions to sports growth in the state through Badminton and Squash respectively.
CONCERNS/ CALL TO ACTION
SWAN expresses concerns over Niger Tornadoes Football Club’s situation, citing the poor state of the Bako Kontagora Memorial Stadium in Minna, which has forced the team to play her home matches elsewhere, the state darling team mostly played home matches in places like, Kaduna or Nasarawa state due to poor state of the Minna stadium, this according to the SWAN is not pleasant news for a state as Niger which prides itself as, ‘Power State’, and therefore called for a state of emergency to be declared in sports, particularly regarding facilities, to urgently address these issues, especially with the new NPFL season set to kick off.
SWAN emphasized that Niger Tornadoes not playing at home results in significant revenue losses for the state which is a serious source of concern.
The Congress also encouraged well-meaning Nigerlites to invest in sports development and called for more support to restore Niger State’s sports glory and return it to its rightful place in Nigeria’s sports ranking.
RESOLUTIONS
SWAN expressed readiness to collaborate with the state government, private, and corporate organizations and other critical sports stakeholders to prioritize sports development.
The Congress urged the new leadership to match set targets with proactive actions.
Congress commended the current State Executive Council of SWAN, led by its Chairman, Alhassan Mohammed Kutigi, for the successes recorded since assuming office and urged them to avoid unnecessary distractions and be more focused and proactive towards achieving the association’s set goals.
