NDSF initiator, Malik, meets Dikko, wants to contribute to sports development at the federal level
Initiator of the Niger Delta Sports Festival Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, fondly called Malik, says he believes he can positively contribute to sports at the federal level after he successfully organized the talk-of-the-town event last month in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom state.
Malik made this declaration when he paid a working visit to the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko in his office in Abuja.
Both parties discussed issues of mutual interest towards exploring avenues to enhance the sports economy and particularly boost private sector involvement in sports.
Speaking afterwards, an elated Sir Ikpokpo believes the meeting with Mallam Dikko is quite an honour to him and will motivate him to do greater things for Nigerian sports.
His words, “I have come to see the NSC Chairman because his vision of taking sports to the next level aligns with mine and is quite exceptional and unprecedented as well as to thank him personally for his support to us towards the successful organization of the NDSF.
‘So I have come to thank him and commit to other possible collaborations for the advancement of sports in Nigeria in line with the vision of the chairman and indeed the RHINES strategy.
‘I am an entrepreneur and always on the lookout for investments that will improve the lot of humanity. So this meeting was very fruitful.
“I have initiated the Local Government Sports Festival in Delta and the Niger Delta Sports Festival but there is more that I can still contribute for sports at the federal level.
‘My passion for sports development found a meeting point in Mallam Dikko, who is the father of sports in the country and also has a reputable track record in sports administration.
“When we put heads together it is for the ultimate good of Nigerian sports. With the sports economy vision being carried out by this administration, the private sector must be encouraged to get more involved in the industry and I have the capacity to contribute positively to this objective. We have to put our money where our mouths are.”
While thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Mallam Dikko as NSC Chairman, Sir Ikpokpo is very confident that he will excel on the assignment.
‘I also came to congratulate the NSC Chairman formally for the good work he is doing along with his colleagues at the Commission. His vision is already having a remarkable impact in the sector and is visible for all to see. We must commend the President for putting a round peg in a round hole”, he said.
Malik is widely believed to be the frontrunner in the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, Presidential Election scheduled for the end of this month.
