Yakmut, made this statement on Tuesday at the first town hall meeting on Sports Development with the Governor with the Theme "Sports Development and Social Re- Engineering" in an event which took place at the Lagos City Hall, Lagos Island.
"What is Lagos has done today by revamping the endowment fund for sports was the right step in the right direction where the youth will be engaged constructively for the benefit of the society and it is also an opportunity for both the public and private sectors to intervene."
Its director for Grassroot sports, Alhassan Yakinut, who acknowledged that the gesture was the right step in the right direction, said it would pave the way for the youths to be engaged constructively for the benefit of the society as it also serve as an opportunity for the public and private sectors to intervene in sports development.
"It is long overdue but it’s never too late to do the right thing because even the developed world, U.K. In the U.K, they have U.K sports and sports England." All these are sports endowment fund that are make sure that the support and services that has to do with the sports development either for the health of the kid for competition and development of our talents."
According to him, the huge success in sports development is as a result of United Kingdom sports and sports England which is similar to the Lagos state sports endowment fund, adding that Lagos state have a structure that would make the project stand the test of time.
"So many states have different structures for sports development. I think the most standard is to have endowment which will be like a sustainable way of funding sports in the state. I advised that the each state of the federation should develop this kind of structure in order to develop and fund sports."
For a well structured sports developmental progamme in Nigeria, Yakinut, said other states of the federation must endeavor to emulate Lagos state Government in establishing a sport endowment fund so as to have a sustainable way of funding sport in Nigeria.
"When the sports endowment was first launched in 1990 it also had a rule, but now that it has been revamped, re-energizing of endowment fund and we have seen success in U.K and England sports, I think there are template we can apply to ensure that this project see the light of the day and as well also stand the test of time".
He noted that the Lagos state government needed to have infrastructure for sports development since reports showed that fifty percent of the state’s population are the youths, adding that the fundamental human rights of the children according to United Nations is to have a good environment that is safe for sports.
"1.6 million People live in Lagos and 50 percent of that comprises youths. That shows that if they exert their energies in the right way the infrastructure for sports has to be provided. It also take note that UN has said that the fundamental human rights of a child is to have a very good environment that is safe for sports."
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