Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has donated N40 million to support the hosting of the 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) holding in Edo.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, disclosed this in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Mr John Akanji, on Monday in Abuja.
The NSF which had suffered numerous postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic and paucity of funds by the Edo State Government, finally got underway on April 2.
The minister expressed appreciation to the youth loving Kogi governor and the state for supporting the fiesta, which was on the brink of another postponement.
Dare assured that the fund would go a long way in uplifting the youths who are the larger participants at the festival as the ministry will commit the fund to providing feeding, transportation and ancillary support.
The minister expressed optimism that other state governors would emulate Bello in supporting the NSF as a show of their support for the youth.
“Over 65 per cent of the athletes are youths for whom the fiesta, dubbed Nigeria’s Olympics, is a great opportunity to hone their skills and possibly secure tickets to the Tokyo Olympics,” he said.
Dare said he had personally called to thank Bello for coming through quickly in support of the Nigerian youths.
The governor’s support is timely and useful and I thank him on behalf of the youths participating in the 20th National Sports Festival in Edo,” Dare said.
The 20th National Sports Festival, which started on April 2 with the arrival of athletes in Edo, will end on April 14.