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INTERVIEW<br />
Nigeria@<br />
What Impact?<br />
Words By -Yemisi Suleiman<br />
As Nigeria gets ready to celebrates 60 years of Independence on<br />
Wednesday, October 1, Allure spoke with personalities from<br />
different sectors of the economy on the impact of the last 60<br />
years on their industry and the lives of the youths in particular. Here is<br />
what they said:<br />
A Period of Mixed Fortunes<br />
Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise<br />
and Centre for Change<br />
Sixty years of Independence is a period of mixed fortune for us as<br />
Nigerians. It is a period that has witnessed several gains and numerous<br />
challenges. For 60 years, Nigerians have had to deal with loads of leadership<br />
challenge and economic crisis while, at the same time, the battle for the<br />
enthronement of democracy has been fought and won.<br />
As for us in the Civil Society, it’s been years of consistent struggle for<br />
democracy, human rights and social justice. We have continued to demand for<br />
an improvement in the life of the average Nigerian, and all these are<br />
continuous demands that no administration in Nigeria has been able to<br />
actualise. For the youth, it is not yet Uhuru, as they keep battling with<br />
increased unemployment, poverty and insecurity. It is hoped that the Nigerian<br />
state, will take a critical look at the challenges of the past 60 years, in building a<br />
future that guarantees prosperity for all Nigerians.<br />
4<br />
/ September 27, 2020<br />
Government Has Been Huge in the Industry<br />
Amaju Pinnick, President,<br />
Nigeria Football<br />
Federation<br />
The tremendous support and<br />
assistance of the government towards the<br />
sports sector in Nigeria in 60 years of the<br />
country’s independence, has been<br />
responsible for the giant strides that the<br />
football sector has made within the period.<br />
Government has been huge in the<br />
industry; building and maintaining<br />
infrastructure, funding of the national teams<br />
and performance rewards which has over<br />
the years, served as incentive for future<br />
generations of footballers. This<br />
encourages them to serve with zeal, and<br />
the spirit of patriotism when taking the pitch<br />
against opposition from other countries.<br />
This support has seen the national<br />
teams win various laurels over the decade,<br />
with the Super Eagles taking three Africa<br />
Cup of Nations titles and featuring at<br />
several editions of the FIFA World Cup and<br />
the Super Falcons winning 9 of 11 editions<br />
of the Women Africa Cup of Nations<br />
amongst others.<br />
Infrastructural development in<br />
various parts of the country has not<br />
only encouraged our country’s teeming<br />
youth population to take to football and<br />
other sports for meaningful dissipation<br />
of energy (with attendant economic<br />
benefits) and discountenance social<br />
vices of all forms, but has also seen<br />
Nigeria hosting major international<br />
events such as the FIFA U20 World<br />
Cup, FIFA U17 World Cup, Africa Cup<br />
of Nations (two times), Africa U20 Cup<br />
of Nations and more. However, the<br />
recent decision by the government of<br />
His Excellency, President<br />
Muhammadu Buhari to move sports<br />
from its present categorisation as<br />
‘recreation’ to ‘business’, is a massive<br />
paradigm shift that is bound to take<br />
sports, including football, to new<br />
heights. It is a measure that will<br />
catapult football to the position of<br />
contributing annually to the country’s<br />
Gross Domestic Product (as it<br />
happened in other advanced countries<br />
of the world) within the next few years.