ABUJA – The Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mike Omeri, has described the Rio Olympic Games Nigeria House Project as a new dawn in sports business.
A press statement on Sunday in Abuja disclosed that Omeri made the statement during a courtesy call on him by the Nigeria House Project Committee on the Rio 2016 Olympics.
He said he was happy the committee visited NOA, saying this underscored the importance of and how strategic the agency was in mobilising Nigerians.
“I am happy with your visit which underscores the importance of who we are and what the NOA can do.
“I believe if there are two members in your sub-committee one should come from the NOA because of how strategic we are in actualising this project.
“The NOA remains at the vanguard of promoting whatever is good about Nigeria, its people, our culture, landscape and everything.
“This government has talked about employment and poverty alleviation. Therefore, everything we do should be targeted at escaping from poverty and our youths taken away from social vices for the good of the society.
“I see what you are doing as further implementing the policy of this government. If there was no policy, you won’t be here.”
Omeri, while accepting that NOA should partner with the Committee, directed that a senior officer in the agency be attached to a sub-committee in the project.
He said this was to ensure there was synergy between both bodies.
“So, we will partner and work with you to ensure that our youths who have talents and capacity in sports can do something else with their energy and engage gainfully in sports.
“If they cannot work in government, there is good opportunity in sports.
“Some of those who have become world renowned and legends in the world came through sports and gone are the days when we thought sports was for drop-outs.
“Today, the best athletes are professionals and those who have gone to school, and we have plenty of such people in Nigeria.
“I will immediately send a representative of our agency to join your committee, because we believe in what you are doing.’’
He however said part of the build-up to the Olympics should be having a National Summit on National Orientation Youth Sports and Entrepreneurship.
The NOA director-general said this would enable more people to participate in the build-up.
“I am impressed that you are planning to go to the Olympics and showcase our culture and traditional sports, because when you go to the Olympics there are a lot of sports competed at that level that does not showcase our tradition and culture.
“So, why can’t our own traditional sports be part of them? There are so many of them better than some sports we participate in during the Olympics.
“I am happy and very committed to it. This Olympics will be better for Nigeria because we are experiencing a new dawn. The agency will participate actively in all the plans.’’
Earlier, while briefing Omeri, the Project Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigeria House Project, Mohammed Abdullahi, had said the committee was seeking NOA’s support.
He said the support was in the promotion and awareness of the hospitality business of sports through the Olympics.
“We see the NOA as a key sector to partner with. We have a mandate to promote the image of this country through sporting activities.
“Olympics is a forum where you have over 205 countries coming to one venue and I think it is one of the best avenues to reach the world and project the image of the country.
“We also find it as a very conducive business environment to match-make investors and Nigerians who also have something to offer.
“Countries are already on ground in Rio to secure space to do the same things we are going to do in Rio.
“For Nigeria, we have a lot to sell, a lot to expose and we have so much, aside the oil sector, to showcase and this is the major aspect of the business taking us to Rio.
“We shall also use the platform to showcase our traditional sports, because if you go through the history of the Olympics and round the world, none of the 42 Olympic sports can trace their history to Africa,’’ Abdullahi said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the reconstituted Nigeria House Project Committee on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was inaugurated last month in Abuja.
It was inaugurated by the Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung.(NAN)