The National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) on Friday in Lafia donated sports equipment worth millions of Naira to 35 selected public primary schools in Nasarawa state.
Habu Gumel, the Executive Secretary of the Fund, handed out the donated sports equipment to representatives of the selected schools.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the schools were among the 2,000 public primary schools selected nationwide by the fund to benefit from the Federal Government sport intervention initiative.
While handing out the equipment, Gumel reaffirmed the Federal Government’s objective of promoting grassroots sports development through the application of lottery proceeds.
He assured that the programme would be sustained to raise future sports champions for the country and help in improving the economic situation of the country.
“We will continue to channel resources to key government projects and programmes which will bring succour to Nigerians,’’ Gumel said.
In his welcome address at the occasion, Kanor Bankole, NLTF’s North-Central Zone Coordinator, said he was hopeful that new talents would be discovered within the state and across the country.
“This will happen with constant distribution of new and world-class sports equipment to schools,’’ he said.
Bankole explained that each of the schools got equipment in nine sports events, namely athletics, taekwondo, badminton, handball, table tennis, volleyball, football, lawn tennis and basketball.
“The fact that Nasarawa state was chosen is a testimony of the fact that Nasarawa state is held in high esteem by the Federal Government,’’ he said.
Receiving the items on behalf of the Nasarawa State Government and the schools, the state Deputy Governor, Silas Agara, warned the beneficiaries to put the equipment to proper use.
While he also urged them to ensure they adhered to a good maintenance culture, Agara however said the initiative was appropriate and should be continued with.
“Our primary schools are the right places to begin with, in intervening in sports development. These equipment must be made available at all times for the use of our pupils,’’ the deputy governor said. (NAN)