Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's renewed focus on youth empowerment could help unlock sports as an economic driver. Speaking in an interview, he pointed to programmes such as NELFUND and the 3 Million Technical Talent initiative as examples of efforts to remove barriers facing young Nigerians.
Abdullahi, who also serves as Director of Youth of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, argued that sports should be built into an industry that creates employment, attracts investment and offers young Nigerians more pathways to economic independence. He described the restoration of the National Sports Commission under Mallam Shehu Dikko and Hon. Bukola Olopade as an opportunity to give sports administration greater technical focus and encourage private investment.
A competitive player in Nigeria's domestic basketball leagues, university competitions, the national youth setup and Trafford Basketball Club in Manchester, Abdullahi has been involved in basketball for more than twenty years. Through the DAM Foundation, he said, the organisation has constructed a basketball court in Kano, organised grassroots competitions in Okene and supported an academy serving more than 500 children. He stressed that domestic leagues need stronger administration, athletes need better welfare arrangements, and federations must become more attractive to corporate partners.
