Dikko, Pamodzi meet on how to advance private sector participation and investment in sports
hairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko and the Chief Executive Officer of Pamodzi Sports Marketing Limited, Mike Itemuagbor met on Monday in Abuja to begin discussion on how to advance private sector participation and investment in sports.
For Dikko, the sports economy mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is one that requires continuous engagements with critical stakeholders and one of such is Itemuagbor who was at the Commission’s office at the Moshood Abiola stadium in Abuja on Monday.
The meeting provided a veritable opportunity for the duo to compile notes on how to turn the sporting sector from consumption to production.
The National Sports Commission is committed to harnessing the opportunities inherent in the sector and creating value chains across the industry. Gone are the days when the nation’s sporting facilities would lie idle during the weekends.
The sports weekend economy should encourage people to build sports into their relaxation programs for the weekends.
Increased sporting activities will create more sports jobs and the target of the sector contributing 3% to the nation’s GDP will become more realistic. All these will not be possible without the private sector involvement hence this meeting with Itemuagbor where issues of mutual interest were on the front burner.
A former member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) marketing committee, Itemuagbor has successfully marketed several local, international and global sporting events and programs.
He has been involved in the marketing of major championships and games staged in Nigeria like the African Youth Championship Nigeria 1995, FIFA U-20 World Cup Nigeria 1999, Africa Cup of Nations Ghana/Nigeria 2000, 8th All-Africa Games Nigeria 2003 and FIFA U-17 World Cup Nigeria 2009.
He also organized the first World Athletics recognized road running event, the Okpekpe international 10km road race in Nigeria. The race is the first in West Africa to be granted a World Athletics Label and the first to have its race course measured by a World Athletics certified course measurer.
