Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko has reiterated his commitment to working with all stakeholders to ensure improved officiating in the domestic league.
Dikko’s dedication to raising the standards of officiating in the league was discussed in a meeting with the President of the Nigeria Referees Association, Sani Zubairu which took place in the office of the Chairman on Monday, January 6.
According to the chairman in a press release issued by the Director (Information and PR), Ajayi Kehinde, the domestic league is important to the development of football in the nation: “We are placing so much emphasis on growing our local contents. The great Pele once said that a country’s national team is as good as the league. So whatever we are doing globally in football, what rubs off directly is the domestic league,” Dikko said.
”We are working on strategies in evolving the sports economy and the league is paramount to that goal as one of the critical drivers in jumpstarting the domestic sports industry. We are measured by the success of our league. So we will be very deliberate on improving every facet of the league and are ready to engage all stakeholders on these objectives,” he added.
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Dikko then spoke on the role of standard officiating in ensuring the growth of the league: “The officiating is key to having the quality of league we crave for. This is why occasional interface with the NRA is very necessary. We have to know how we can support to boost officiating in the league and what enablers need to be in place.”
”It is important to know their present challenges and how we can come in. Of course, in doing this, we have to collaborate with the NFF, the parent association and regulator of football in Nigeria,” he posited.
The president of the NRA, Sani Zubairu also pledged his support to the NSC, asserting that the Chairman knows what to do to develop the league: “We know that he is an achiever and we are very sure that he will not fail. He is our boss and he knows what is good for us with all his experience from the league, Federation, CAF, and FIFA,” the President preached.
The meeting with the NRA president follows a marathon series of back-to-back meetings by Shehu Dikko aimed at driving the growth and development of sports in Nigeria.
With a relentless passion for elevating sports in Nigeria, the Chairman who recently threw his weight behind teenage Tennis sensation, Khadijat Mohammed, has been engaging with stakeholders and hammering out strategies to propel sports in the country.
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