FG, Kano set to partner to develop State Sports Institute

Federal Government in collaboration with Kano State is exploring avenues to develop Kano State Sport Institute into the first sports degree awarding body in Nigeria.

 Solomon Dalung, Minister of Sports and Youths, made the disclosure while paying a courtesy visit to Kano state, Acting Governor, Hafiz Abubakar at Government house.

He said that Kano Sport Institute which is an affiliate  of the State University of Science and Technology  require a  frame work like the South African model which operates as the country’ Sports Institute under  University of Pretoria that admits candidates with sporting talent to  produce sport graduates.

The Minister described Kano as a house of sport with many well established games such as Rugby, Basket Ball, bally ball and hockey among others that are rarely played in other states of the country.

He stated that with demographic configuration of the state which is dominated by youth and many Sporting facilities, state has all the potentials for investors to harness in sport development.

The minister, who came along with some foreign investors, described his to the state, and the sport institute, in particular, as an opportunity to have first hand information on the state of sport development in the state.

In his speech, the Acting Governor, Hafiz Abubakar welcomed the federal government move with assurance of the state government support.

He revealed that recent survey carried out by DFID on the investment potentials of the state showed that film making and sports have the highest potentials for return on investment than other businesses.

Abubakar said Kano by all index Kano deserve intervention of the Federal Government and International donors as well as investors in sport development.

He pointed out that in last five years, Government has made stride to address sport development issues among which is construction of the Sport Institute,  to meet up with current and future challenges in sport.