A first class monarch in Ogun state, the Olowu of Owu kingdom, Prof (Oba) Saka Matemilola, has lamented Nigeria’s inability to fully utilise the talents that abound in sports.
Oba Matemilola said even as Nigeria is blessed with abundant talents in sports, the country lacks the platform to discover and nurture them to stardom.
The monarch made this known at the maiden edition of Oba Matemilola Under-15 Annual Football competition in Abeokuta.
He said with the array of talents in the nooks and crannies of the country, Nigeria should be the undisputed leader in African sports.
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“We have a lot of talents in this country. A lot of talents that we have not been utilizing very well. Look at the sporting activities; be it athletes, be it football, they are struggling maybe because we did not give them a platform to train and to develop themselves.
“There’s no reason whatsoever in my view that Nigeria should not be coming top in any competition in Africa,” the monarch said.
He also observed that once the youths leave the shores of Nigeria to other countries where there are enough facilities and conducive environment, they become superstars.
He urged the federal government to create additional infrastructure and allocate more funding to sports, emphasising that sports is one way to keep the youths away from social vices.
In his remark, the Commissioner for Youth and Sport development, Wasiu Isiaka, corroborated Oba Matemilola’s view, but said Ogun is creating a platform for the talents to grow.
