Mr Michael Enahoro, Chairman, Kids N Play, an NGO, has called for investment in youth development through sport to ensure better leaders and focused society in the country.
Enahoro said this on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Abuja.
According to him, the recent provision of sport centre, kits and trainers in Government Secondary School, Yangoji, Kwali, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is to ensure that youths around Kwali environs imbibe discipline through sport.
“The current crop of leaders we have today, they will tell you that their `after school programme initiative’, is what is giving them the sense of discipline and direction they have till today.
“The educational system they had in the 50s’ 60s, 70s and early 80s was built around such after school engagement of students between six and 18 years.
“They either belong to school football team, Boys Scout, Boys Brigade, and Girls Guide and so on.
“Kids and Play will provide its members mostly students, the opportunity to participate in sports from their early age, imbibe sport discipline in compliant with the International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF).
“Such athletes will not dope because because they started early to become veterans at 18, 19 years, doing the right thing on the pitch from childhood.
“ Kids are at their highest energy level from 1 to 6 p.m, that is the height of their energy level hence, the need for their adequate engagement during the period.
“ Youth restiveness is borne out of the fact that young people who are at the highest level of their energy both in age and time are not engaged enough,” he said.
Enahoro said that the organisation and its numerous sponsors had been engaging FCT youths in physical exercise for self and sport development at the grassroots level.
“The Kwali Sport Centre at Government Secondary School, Yangoji is provided to positively engage youths in the area in sporting activities in a disciplined manner.
‘’This is necessary so that they can be disciplined as they grow up.
“It will also help to discover hidden talents in other track and field events in the grassroots; we are going to provide such centre in other area councils in the territory.
Enahoro stressed that registration into Kids and Play remained free to all children between the required age, adding that a file would be kept for each kid.
“Our kids will use their normal age and acquire the skills to compete favourably with their counterparts from around the world. Nigeria’s human capital can produce tens of the world best athletes.
“Kids`N Play, its partners like National Lottery Trust Fund and FCT Schools board have come together to create the centre as a model for sports development in the country.’’
Enahoro, who said effort would be made to replicate such centre across the country, enjoined every member of the national assembly to replicate same for positive youth development and discovery of talents.
“There are 33,000 students registered in FCT schools, our focus is to attract 10 per cent, which is 3,300 and nurture them through the scheme at five centres beginning from September 2017.
“If all the members of the national assembly can do the same in their various constituencies that will be over 500 centres, where youths can grow to become disciplined and dedicated leaders of tomorrow.
“Each centre can accommodate 500 students, which means that more than 250,000 youths will not grow up to channel their energies into vices and become menace to the society.
The chairman said that the building Kwali Athletic Centre cost N5.6 million, adding that the process and cost of construction of the centre would be presented to the national assembly (NASS) for adoption.
He expressed optimism that NASS members would replicate the scheme in their various constituencies.
NAN recalls that Kids N Play opened Kwali Athletic Centre at Government Secondary School, Yangoji and Kwali on Dec.8, while students, teachers and parents of