The National Sports Commission (NSC) has successfully conducted elections and inaugurated the boards of Nigeria Para Sports Federations with the clear mandate to align the federations with the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria Sports Economy (RHINSE) agenda of the Commission.
New boards emerged in various Para Sports including the Nigeria Amputee football federation, Para Athletics, Para Powerlifting, Para soccer, Para swimming, Para Volleyball and Para Badminton, in an exercise that was widely adjudged as free, fair and credible.
In Amputee football, former Commissioner for sports in Bayelsa state Opukiri Micheal Jones-Ere emerged President while Joshua Dauda Bungon became the new Vice president. In Para Athletics, Etti Rafiu Olawale became the new President while Mohammed Musa Nafiu won the Vice President position.
In Para Powerlifting, the delegates unanimously voted sports philanthropist Kingsley James Awodi as the new President while Chief Akutekwe Patrick (MON) emerged the Vice President.For the Nigeria Para Soccer Federation, Alhaji Kaka Mallam is the new President while Sherifat Bola Araoye became the vice President.
In Para Swimming, Adeyemi Adeshina Adeola emerged as the federation’s new President while Dr Ahmed Alao emerged as his vice President. In Para Volleyball, Muhammed Abbah Isa was voted the new President and Hon Jim Okolo emerged as his new Vice President.
Chairman of the the NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, while inaugurating the new boards, emphasized that the Sports Federations are the bedrock of thr Country’s Sports development and therefore charged the newly elected boards and their Presidents to focus on building legacies with their expertise and dexteriies.
“What we have successfully done today is to give you all the platforms to come on board and contribute your own quota to build a sustainable sports economy especially in the Nigeria Para Community.
“Mr President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, is very intentional about his revolution for Nigerian sports and the Nigeria Para sports is a very cardinal part of that aspiration,” he said.
The Director General of the NSC, Hon Bukola Olopade, on his part congratulated all the newly elected boards and hailed the quality of Presidents who have emerged in the various Para Sports Federations.
“The results of these elections have shown us that Nigerian sports is becoming more attractive to people who can add value to the current reform agenda going on in the Country’s Sports sector.
” Para sports is very key to the overall objectives of the Sports Commission and the leadership of the NSC will continue to prioritise its growth and we have not doubt that the new boards are more than capable of complementing the Commission to take Special sports to a greater heights”.
