2023 Nigeria Polls: PDP’s Atiku Abubakar promises to bring investments in football

Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar says investment in sports, especially would be a priority if elected as President of Nigeria next year.

Atiku gave the impression last Sunday during a live discussion of People’s Town Hall, a brainchild of Channels Television and its partners and the former Vice President of Nigeria laid credence to the template used by Morocco which has yielded the national team’s incredible semi-final feat at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

“It requires encouraging all sectors of the economy actually to invest in sports, not only government. All sectors of the economy; private sector inclusive, public sector inclusive, and sib regional governments inclusive.” Atiku asserted during the discussion.

“From what I have found in Morocco is that they have provided football playing fields in almost every neighborhood. Any neighborhood you go to in Morocco, no matter be it a small village, town, cities, you will find out that they have provided public first and you will see children as young as Primary School children playing football.

“Early in the morning, football before going to school then later in the evening when they return from school.

We will encourage that. Doing this means involving all levels of government; local, state as well as the federal government. All that the federal government can do is to make sure that the pulse of the national government is providing sporting facilities in public places as well as institutions.”

Atiku’s running mate and Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa says attention would be paid to sports development at the grassroots.

Delta State recently hosted the 2022 National Sports Festival and the Governor harped on the importance of sports development at the grassroots level.