REVIVING AND MANAGING OUR SPORTS FOR SUCCESS

By Lolu Akinwunmi

Expectedly, it’s now certain that no medal is likely to come in from this Paris Olympics, many Nigerians are upset and angry. A friend even proposed that we scrap the Sports Ministry.

I believe it’s the time to lick our wounds and seriously review what went wrong. More critically we need to review the way we manage Sports well beyond Olympics. Let’s do a total overhaul of all sports. Nigeria can be a winning nation. We must find out why it’s not happening and what we need to do.

I am no sports administrator. But this has always engaged my attention. And you don’t need to be a sports administrator to make suggestions. And this is what I am doing today.

One, scrapping the Ministry isn’t the answer. “Ori bibe ko ni oogun ori fifo”; you don’t cut off your head to cure headache. We will still need a ministry or a formal body to manage sports.

Any of us can manage our sports. You may not even be a sportsman or woman. It’s a management process. In my opinion we ought to do the following:

1• Investment in Sports Infrastructure and facilities: WE MUST BUILD AND UPGRADE AND MAINTAIN OUR SPORTING FACILITIES. Without these to provide athletes with the necessary environment to train at an elite level it will be hard. Athletes must have access to high-quality equipment and resources required for training and competition. I am not sure any of our stadiums offer this kind of support at the moment.

2• Talent Identification and Development: We must develop Grassroots Programs to identify and nurture young talents from an early age, ensuring a steady pipeline of skilled athletes. How and Where?
In Schools and sports Academies. We invest in sports education and specialized training academies that focus on developing future athletes. Mobil did it for many years.

3• Coaching and Support Staff: We need to hire expert coaches and staff.
We must bring in experienced and successful coaches, including international experts if needed, to elevate the standard of training. We also must develop a comprehensive support system, including sports scientists, nutritionists, physiotherapists, and psychologists, to assist athletes in their preparation.

4• Funding and Sponsorship is critical: And it’s not cheap. Government cannot do it alone. While we need to increase government funding for sports to provide the necessary financial resources for training, facilities, and international exposure, the Private Sector involvement must be encouraged by way of sponsorships and partnerships to supplement funding and offer athletes better opportunities. Mobil did it for years in Nigeria and it worked. Our banks, telcos, oil and gas companies can do this. But the conditions must be transparent to encourage them.

5• we must develop a strong Sports Culture and Public Support: We need to encourage a culture of sports and physical activity through national campaigns, media coverage, and community events. We must engage the public to create a supportive environment for athletes, including fan support, recognition, and national pride.
I like the Nike slogan: JUST DO IT. In essence Nike means whether at competitive or non competitive level, just do some sporting activity. We must drive a similar sporting and physical activities campaign.

6• International Exposure and Competition: are a must via regular and well supervised participation in international events to gain experience and exposure to high-level competitions. We must look at Training Camps abroad with strong sports programs to learn from their expertise and methods. This is where sponsorship comes in to fund them.

7• Monitoring and Evaluation: is key and critical. We must do regular performance analyses of each athlete.
We need to regularly assess the performance of athletes and sports programmes for effectiveness. We must develop and build into this programme a feedback mechanism and implement a system for continuous feedback and adjustment of training programs based on performance outcomes. These are info we share with current and potential sponsors.

8• Incentives and Motivation are key: We must reward performing athletes and coaches by offering financial incentives, scholarships, and recognition to motivate them to perform at their best. In the U.S. if you show strong sporting aptitude there are Unis that bring you in to study special courses. Also critically, we need to build a Long Term Career Support by providing career planning and opportunities for athletes and coaches post-retirement, ensuring that they have security and motivation during their sporting careers. Coaches and officials can no longer be begging for money from foreign athletes.

9• All these must be on a strong foundation of government Policy and Governance Reform: Nepotism. Bribery. Corruption. Abuse etc must go. We must do a thorough sports reform that will also ensure honesty and transparency, accountability, and efficiency in managing sports programs.

We need to build in strong anti corruption measures so that sponsors that bring in the money can have a measure of comfort. There will be the need to implement strict measures to prevent corruption and mismanagement in sports administration.

10• Inclusion and Diversity are key: Nigeria is made up of many peoples and cultures. There must be broad participation. We do this by ensuring that all segments of our society are represented without sacrificing quality and competence.

Sports is now politics and attracts international respect and prestige. Jamaica is a much smaller nation but well respected because of its sporting prowess.

By implementing these strategies, our nation Nigeria can build a robust sports ecosystem that fosters talent, ensures high levels of performance, and enhances its competitiveness on the global stage.

Lolu Akinwunmi is the Group CEO
Prima Garnet Africa