Abuja: The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has called for a strategic partnership with the National Sports Commission (NSC) to leverage the unifying power of sports in promoting patriotism, national cohesion, unity, and national identity among Nigerians.
Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director-General of NOA, made the call during a courtesy visit with his management team to Malam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the NSC, on Thursday in Abuja.
Issa-Onilu, represented by Mr David Akoji, Director of Special Duties and State Operations, congratulated Dikko on the progressive innovations he has brought to the NSC and the sports sector.
He emphasised the unique ability of sports to unite the nation.
“We want to leverage the unifying effect that sports have on Nigerians. A lot of people tend to emphasise our fault lines; things that divide and separate us,” Issa-Onilu stated.
He highlighted how national sports events revealed a deep-seated love for Nigeria.
“At NOA, despite the fault lines, we believe that Nigerians love Nigeria, and that love can be seen during international sports and competitions between Nigeria and other countries.
“Nigerians don’t want to know if it is a Christian, Muslim, Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba that scores the goal to make Nigeria win; and that desire for Nigeria to win can be transformed into other sectors of the country.
“That is the foundation upon which national cohesion and unity can be built.”
The NOA boss articulated their intent, saying, “So, the NOA looks at leveraging the successes achieved, especially in international sport events, to build stories about our resilience, our capacity and our place in the committee of nations.
“We want to partner with NSC and to work with you very closely to ensure that sports are used to promote patriotism and national cohesion.”
Issa-Onilu also introduced Dikko to the National Identity Project, a key initiative championed by President Bola Tinubu.
He stressed that sports provided an ideal platform for NOA to promote this project and its “overriding National Value Charter, a reciprocal commitment of the National Promise and Citizens Code.
He also addressed a notable observation regarding national pride among athletes.
“We also noticed that some of our athletes usually struggle to sing or recite the national anthem.
“So, we brought 5,000 copies of the national anthem to encourage them to be familiar and recite it with pride and patriotism,” Issa-Onilu said,
On the National Flag, he said: “Also, other countries have the green colour on their flags, but that on Nigeria’s national flag is emerald green 2.0, white and emerald green 2.0.
“And the flag is a continuum and not stitched of green, white and green.”
Responding, NSC Chairman Dikko affirmed the immense potential of the sports sector.
He said that sports could create millions of jobs through their value-changing effects that impact other sectors of the economy.
He agreed on the need to collaborate with NOA to educate Nigerians, including athletes, on patriotism, asserting that his Commission “controls the biggest platform (sports).”
Dikko illustrated the economic power of sports, citing an example: “In the UK, because of 22 players that will play football in the field, about three million people will come out to watch.
“And in the process, they buy tickets, buy fuel, eat in restaurants, lodge in hotels, etc.
“And for those watching on television, they would have to subscribe to watch the match.
“So, you can see the value chain.
“Therefore, sports are one of the key drivers of the economy. If we get it right, it will contribute to our GDP.
He also highlighted regional initiatives.
“Abia State is trying to establish an Economic Zone where sportswear could be produced; cotton, textile, tailoring, etc.
“We need to work together, because sports touch all sectors of the economy.
Emphasising the unifying aspect, Dikko added, “Also, sports is a national asset, because everybody is a Nigerian when it comes to international sports.
“We need to work with NOA at every level, and we are ready to work with you to drive our purpose in a particular direction and strategies.”
He expressed gratitude for the copies of the anthem.
“The 5,000 copies of the national anthem will help our athletes, especially the foreign-based ones; it will help them a lot. As they go to camp, we will give them.”
He provided updates on Nigerian teams currently on national assignments, noting that the female soccer team, Falcons, were in Morocco, while the national basketball team, the Tigress, were in Ivory Coast.
He also mentioned that some Nigerian students were participating in the Global University Games abroad.
The highlights of the event included the symbolic handing over of the original national flag, the 5,000 copies of the national anthem, and other publications of the NOA.
