As we mourn our loss to Algeria let us use it as a basis on which to formulate a coherent sports policy

By Ayo Akinfe

[1] Each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas must organise at least one sporting event a year
[2] Scholarships must be provided for exceptional talents who will be educated up to university level at specialist sports academies
[3] There will be a National Sports Festival held at least once a year, to which all stares are compelled to participate
[4] A degree-awarding national sports university will be established in Abuja to train athletes, officials, umpires, health experts, and managers in all aspects of sports management
[5] Every state must organise a state-wide sporting festival to determine the best talents within its domain
[6] Private companies which run sports clubs will be given tax breaks
[7] Every local government must have within its domain at least one comprehensive sporting facility
[8] To be registered to feature for Nigeria in any sporting event, athletes must be able to provide authentic birth certificates and irrefutable proof of their ages
[9] All major trade, professional and educational federations and bodies must organise a national sporting event once a year. These will include the army, navy, air force, fire service, ambulance service police, universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, Custom and Excise, etc
[10] Exchange programmes will be entered into with foreign sporting bodies to take a and train Nigerian officials, managers and professionals on an annual basis.