From Musa Muhammad Kutama, Calabar
The National President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Isaiah Benjamin, has urged policymakers and stakeholders at the ongoing 2nd National Council on Sports in Calabar, Cross River State, to ensure that resolutions reached on sports business are backed by strong political will and effective implementation.
The week-long conference, themed “The Business of Sports: Creating Jobs, Wealth and Utility Under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” is expected to produce a communiqué highlighting key decisions aimed at repositioning the nation’s sports sector.
Speaking with sports journalists in Calabar, Benjamin expressed confidence in the quality of deliberations recorded at the council so far.
“I can tell you for free that all the issues being discussed are those which, if properly implemented, will help galvanise and improve our sporting and allied sectors going forward,” he said.
He added that the resolutions, once adopted and executed, could signal a major turning point for the country’s sports ecosystem.
The SWAN president stressed that Nigeria’s sports industry—particularly football—requires a comprehensive overhaul to address longstanding structural and developmental challenges.
“I believe there is going to be a total overhaul of Nigeria’s sports sector, particularly in the area of football,” Benjamin noted.
He called on the National Sports Commission to work diligently to resolve issues that have hindered sports business and development in Nigeria, urging all stakeholders to prioritise sustainability, accountability, and long-term planning.
