Adjunct Professor Sadiq Abdullahi, former international tennis player, Olympian, former national and African tennis champion, lecturer at the Florida International University, has been in the country these past 7 days. He has been working very closely with me in the Nigeria Academicals Sports Committee, NASCOM, as a member of the Board. For decades he has been an advocate and fighter for the revival of tennis at grassroots level without much success to show for it.
Suddenly, President Goodluck Jonathan comes up with an ingenious initiative and directs the establishment of a body to be responsible for the revival of grassroots sports development through the schools system and Sadiq is included as a member. He initially thought it would be like one of those committees that would start with a bang and much fanfare only to wither and be buried shortly after through neglect and a lack of the political will to see it through.
Then he comes in last week and joins the working group in Abuja. He has had a first hand experience of whats going on and has been actively involved in the visitations to relevant partners and agencies, and has participated in the intellectual conversations that are ongoing in shaping a clear path to achieving success this time around, all things being equal. The focus now is on creating the foundation upon which the programme will be built and driven, and creating awareness amongst those that will be playing a part in the vision and explaining how they can partner with the project to make a meaningful contribution to the transformation agenda of the federal government. The matter of the youths is of grave national concern. With a strong ‘army’ of frustrated, unemployed, unemployable, poorly educated, illiterate, hungry youth population, Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb. Every sector of the Nigerian economy must take up some of the slack and make adequate provision to contribute to the youth crisis. Every sector must contribute its own quota to youth development in the country. The sports, education, youth development and employment generation agencies must come together with schemes and programmes that will engage, empower and re-invigorate the youths.

So, Sadiq Abdullahi, consummate teacher and coach, has come in to put his experiences and intellectual accomplishments at the disposal of NASCOM in a relationship that is obviously creating great excitement for everyone around and high expectations about the future of sports and the Nigerian youth. I ask him what he thinks about what he sees. He tells me that with the passion and commitment he has seen driving NASCOM, this time around, he sees hope for the future of Nigerian sportsmen and women and is excited to be a part of it. So, what happens when he returns to the United States next week? He is going to get down to work, and help build a platform in the Diaspora for those that choose to enrol into American Universities and combine their sports with education. He will make arrangements for an annual visitation of the best talents discovered from the national academicals competitions to summertime sports programmes in America with coaches of American universities in attendance to scout for talents amongst Nigeria’s best authentic athletes from the grassroots.

Hear him: This trip has exposed me to the challenges and promises of developing grassroots sports at the highest federal government level. NASCOM is positioning itself as a legitimate body to address the grassroots problems in Nigeria as evidenced by the various visitations and presentations to heads of key federal ministries such as education, tourism, information, youths etc. It is very critical for the leadership of these federal ministries to buy in and support this project. My specific mandate is very clear. I will mobilize and engage ex-national/ international sports women and men in the Diaspora in the discussion of sports development. I will create opportunities and provide pertinent information for the elite students in the NASCOM project that they can continue their education. I believe that the national and international orientation will provide the incentive for continued national participation in the development of the country. This is consistent with the vision and aspirations of President Goodluck E. Jonathan and his transformation agenda. To be transformed and to transform a country that has experienced chronic neglect and abuse in all aspects of governance and leadership, particularly in sports, needs a new injection or stimulus. As I return to the United States, I am excited and thankful of the opportunity to serve my country in this capacity. Together, we will succeed.