By Deborah Coker
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, says the Nigerian Military is ready to partner with the National Institute for Sports (NIS) in the training and retraining of coaches and athletes.
He noted that the goal of the collaboration was to ensure optimal performance and strengthen the development of sports across the country.
Musa gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by the Director General/Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO) of the NIS, Philip Shaibu, on Wednesday in Abuja.
This is contained in a statement on Thursday by Mr Ben Ogbemudia, Special Assistant (Media) to Shaibu.
Gen. Musa, who revealed that he is a member of the Edo Handball Association, noted that Nigeria was blessed with talented youth.
He emphasised that engaging young people through sports could significantly reduce crime across the country.
“In Nigeria, we are blessed with talents.
“I can assure you of the military’s readiness to collaborate with the NIS in training and retraining our coaches and athletes.
“I am an advocate of ‘catch them young’. We will give you the needed support in this direction,” he said.
He also called on all sports stakeholders to revive grassroots sports nationwide, noting that sports play a key role in addressing insecurity.
Earlier, Shaibu said the purpose of the visit was to seek collaboration with the military and introduce the institute’s leadership and agenda to the CDS.
The former Edo State deputy governor stressed the need for individuals, governments, and corporate bodies to invest in sports, noting its impact on various sectors of the economy.
Shaibu explained that although the NIS was established 50 years ago, it had only made significant progress in its first five years and had since struggled to fulfill its mandate.
“NIS is a training institution. It has the capacity to train all levels of personnel within the sports ecosystem that is our core responsibility.
“Given the military’s sports structure, it was important for us to visit and seek this partnership,” he said.
He also lamented the collapse of state leagues across the country and called for their revival, saying they could provide employment for thousands of youths and help reduce crime.
Shaibu further outlined the institute’s core mandate and pledged to align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, ensuring the NIS certificate was recognised both nationally and internationally.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)