Niger Sports Commission partners Global Peace Advocacy on sportswear production, youth empowerment
By: TUNDE BOLAJI, MINNA.
The newly approved Niger State Sports Commission (NSSC) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Global Peace Advocacy and Empowerment Initiative aimed at boosting sports development, youth empowerment, and peace promotion through sports in the state.
The landmark agreement, signed on Friday at the Commission’s complex in Minna, covers the production of sports kits, empowerment programmes for young athletes, and initiatives to attract private sector investments into the state’s sports industry.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Commission, Hon. Danjuma Abdul Masu, described the partnership as a “win-win initiative” that would reposition the state’s sports sector for greater impact.
“Sports is a global industry through which we can promote peace, unity, and development. Our aim is to run the sector with a business-oriented approach that attracts private investment and creates opportunities for our youths,” Masu said.
He disclosed that under the agreement, approximately 10,000 pieces of sportswear would be produced for use across the state, alongside scholarships and empowerment programs targeting youths.
The partnership will also prioritize promoting girls’ participation in sports, in line with Governor Mohammed Umar Bago’s agenda of enhancing women’s visibility in the sports sector, as seen in other sectors.
Masu further revealed that Global Peace Advocacy, through its sports equipment arm, Global Sports Group B.V., Masita of the Netherlands, will kit all sports associations in Niger State, including the state’s flagship football club, Niger Tornadoes.
According to him, football and basketball will serve as focal points for the empowerment initiative, given their massive following and potential to engage young people positively.
He expressed confidence that the initiative would help take youths off the streets and steer them away from social vices.
The Commission Chairman commended the presence of officials from TAJ Bank at the signing ceremony, noting that their participation was a deliberate effort to attract private sector players into the sports business in the state.
On his part, the Director General of Global Peace Advocacy and Empowerment Initiative, Amb. Dr. Badamasi Sadiq Ibrahim, explained that the organization is globally recognized with directors across several countries.
He disclosed that as part of the collaboration, a Global Peace Football Competition will be organized to scout for promising talents who will be marketed to football clubs in Europe.
He added that young footballers identified during the competition would embark on foreign tours, while the Niger Tornadoes and all state contingents to national sporting events would be fully kitted by the organization.
Amb. Ibrahim further announced that proceeds from players marketed abroad would be shared equally between the state and the organization, while the state would enjoy a 50 percent discount on the purchase of sportswear.
The ceremony climaxed with the official signing of the partnership agreement. Hon. Danjuma Abdul Masu signed on behalf of the state government, while the Executive Secretary of the Commission signed as a witness.
