Nigeria Aquatic Federation Plans to Make Swimming Money-making Sport

Kunle Adewale

The Nigeria Aquatic Federation on Monday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos began a five-day swimming coaches conference and aquatic lifeguard profession course in which participants are taken through proper swimming techniques, lifesaving, all in an attempt not only to improve swimming in Nigeria but to make country’s waterways safe.

In a chat with THISDAY, the President of the Nigeria Aquatic Federation (NAF), Chinoye Aliyu, said what the federation hopes to achieve ultimately with the programme is to promote swimming in the country so that participants can be making money from swimming like other professionals in other sports.

“Our vision is to promote swimming, make it safe, populalise the sport to make it attractive to sponsors and ultimately make it a money-making venture like other professionals in other sports,” the NAF President said.

Aliyu, whose passion for swimming is unprecedented said another aim of the programme is to create awareness of the federation’s plan. 

“Our vision is to make Nigeria a swimming country. Swimming is health and water is life and we therefore want to give that life to Nigerians. 

“But the beginning of life starts with safety-one has to be alive to benefit from swimming. That is why this course is focusing on proper coaching practices and the safety associated with the sport. That why the emphasis of this course is on coaching, lifeguard and lifesaving,” Aliyu noted.

She expressed that at the end of the five-day course, the participants would have been acquainted with proper coaching modalities, lifesaving, life guarding, the proper diets and medications required for a swimmer and the psychology of swimming.

The swimming coaches conference and aquatic lifeguard professional course which is the first of its kind in Nigeria would come to a close on Friday, September 30.