Sports : A Catalyst For Youth Development And Societal Transformation – Chief Obialor Obidimalor
A renowned Youth Icon, Role Model, Sports enthusiast and entrepreneur, Chief Obialor Obidimalor (Akalike) has
joined the growing calls for the ‘systematic integration and mainstreaming of sport for development and peace into the development sector and into international, national and subnational development plans and policies’ as well as enhanced policy alignment and coherence.
Speaking at “the Cubana Parliament” a melting point of political, sports and social discussion by sound intellectuals, Patriotic Nigerians and successful entrepreneurs in Abuja.
He stated that sports has the capacity to transform the lives of individual, bolsters physical, psychological, emotional, and social well-being and development. He maintained that sports plays a significant role in cultures and communities around the world and sport has been increasingly used as a means to prevent crime, violence and substance use, especially among youth.
Chief Obidimalor harped on the need for a greater government and private sector investment in sports development to harness the pool of young talents that abounds across Nigeria and maximize them for crime reduction, youth restiveness and unity of Nigeria.
Chief Obialor Obidimalor reiterated that the United Nations Sustainable development goals which Nigeria made commitment to its actualisation identified the sports as ‘an important enabler of sustainable development’, recognising “the growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contributions it makes to the
empowerment of women and of young people, individuals and communities as well as to health, education and social inclusion objectives”
He recalled how sports unified Nigerians in major sporting championship across Africa and the world, he also revealed that the development of sports academy across Nigeria has helped in identifying and nurturing young talents for national development.
He therefore called for a multi-stakeholderand agency approach, including actors active in the fields of crime prevention, criminal justice, education, health and other sectors in using sports as a tool for youth development, crime prevention and a rally point for national integration and cohesion.
