Enoh,  Dabiri-Erewa Say FG ‘ll Prioritise Entertainment, Culture in Sports Devt

Michael Olugbode in Abuja and Sunday Okobi  in Lagos

Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has said the federal government would place entertainment and culture at the front burner of sports’ growth in Nigeria.

This is even as the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon Abike Dabiri- Erewa, said sports development in Nigeria would go a long way if its diaspora component is fully harnessed and developed through knowledge-sharing, expertise, skills and investment in the sector.

Speaking at the reception ceremony organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) for the National Basketball Association (NBA) legends, Lisa Leslie and Chinenye Ogwumike, in Abuja last Tuesday evening, Enoh said: “It is not just about their talent but collaborating cultural exchange; and also, the sport sector will not have made significant improvement without the combination of entertainment and culture of our people, and I am here to promote that.”

The minister disclosed both legends are in Nigeria to provide invaluable guidance to reinforce cultural, social, political, and economic ties between the United States and Africa, and promote trade, investment, and educational exchanges between the US and Africa.

According to Enoh, “Beyond football, we have several sports. What I am trying to do is to balance that beyond football, we have other sports-this is not about football-this is about basketball.

“I am glad this is happening now that the US president considered as best time to send Leslie and Chinenye to three African  countries, and it is good Nigeria is listed among the three.

“In terms of the NBA and the Women’s NBA (WNBA), Nigeria performing talents have been incredible notably in the increase of talents and their contribution.”

Also speaking at the reception, the chairman NiDCOM commended Leslie and Chiney for their passion to grow sport talents in Africa, describing them as strategic and important for the advancement in sports development in Nigeria since they are embedded with skills and resources to groom home-grown talents as a way of volunteerism and giving back to Nigeria.

Dabiri noted that there woul be lots of engagement with the duo to promote growth of sports talent not just in Nigeria, but Africa at large.

According to her, “We believe as Africans you are diasporas; if we cannot make Africa the way it should be as a continent, the world will continue to look down on us as black people.

“So, it doesn’t matter where you are, let us do all we can for the beauty and benefit of this continent.

“We will continue to engage with you, and we hope that the NBA Vice-President (Africa), Gbemisola Abudu, will do a lot more while here in Nigeria.”

On her part, Abudu said since the establishment of the Council in Nigeria in 2022, there have been no opportunities to have the NBA legends in the country.

The NBA vice-president said, “The fact both of you are here today is a big honour,” stating that: “in the history of the NBA we have had 120 players of Africa descent, more than 50 of those have been of Nigeria descent.

“In the history of WNBA, we have had 10- First/Second generation WNBA-players of Nigeria descent and this tells you the level of talent Nigeria has, not just from talent standpoint, but commercial standpoint.”

NBA, a professional basketball league in North-America is composed of 30-teams as major sports league in the US and Canada. It is considered the premier basketball league in the world.

Leslie and Chinenye are members of the inaugural President Joe Biden’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States.

On his part, the Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Hon Tochukwu Ebere, said as a country of more than 200 million people, the legends were celebrated for their doggedness.

Meanwhile, Samson Itegboje, who represented the Minister of Foreign Affairs, extolled the NiDCOM boss for putting the event together to honour the legends.

He said: “Leslie and Chinenye have not just achieved unparalleled success in their respective fields, but become beacons of inspiration to countless individuals globally.

“Their unwavering commitment to excellence, resilience in the face of challenges and dedication to making positive impact is now example for all of us.”

Chiney, a 31-year old Nigerian-American, is a Stanford graduate, WNBA player, and an NBA analyst for ESPN, the youngest female in the council.

Meanwhile, Leslie, an American former professional basketball player, currently the head-coach for Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league, is an early-star of WNBA and four-time Olympic gold medalist.