Sports fans have protested against the N31 billion that the federal government has set out for sports in 2024.
This amount is made up of N7,999,058 for overhead costs and N3,235,718 for staff. The 2024 Appropriations Bill, which was introduced by Tinubu and was titled “Budget of Renewed Hope,” included almost N20 billion for capital expenditures related to sports.
According to data our reporter obtained from the Federation’s Budget Office, the ministry of sports would have among the lowest funding levels in 2024.
Following the FG’s division of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development into the Ministry of Sports Development and the Ministry of Youth Development, this occurred.
According to information obtained by our correspondent, 10 ministries would split a total of N20.7tn, or 86.3 percent of the budget allotted for 2024.
These ministries include those of defense, education, health, finances, and planning and budget.
Former Gombe State FA chairman Shuaib Gara-Gombe responded to the Federal Government’s financing for sports by saying, “Sports should be getting more funding from the government and it shows the level of commitment this government has given to sports.”
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“Let’s wait and see how the ministry of sports uses these funds and draw in the private sector to contribute to the expansion and improvement of sports in the nation.”
The budget for sports, according to renowned journalist Afolabi Gambari, further demonstrated that the government saw sports as leisure activities rather than a sector that could strengthen the national economy.
“N31 billion is too little and insufficient to run sports in a year,” stated Gambari.
It demonstrates that, despite years of lobbying, the government does not view sports as an enterprise. Sports are an industry that has the potential to both employ young people and keep them off the streets.
