Godwin Kienka, the executive secretary of the Sports Performance Reward Fund and author of Sports in Nigeria – Going Round in Circles, said over the weekend in Lagos that the Sports Performance Reward Fund (SPRF) will surely stem the tide of Nigerian youths leaving their country for ‘seemingly’ greener pastures abroad.
Kienka, a widely travelled and highly reputed sports administrator said; “The two sure routes of going from rags to riches, from ghetto or slum to a Miami beach house, Banana Island or elite estates are music and sports. This is a global phenomenon and we are sure that the SPRF will give Nigerian youth who have tremendous sporting talent and are determined and hardworking a sure route to create wealth for themselves and the country.”
“Examples abound all over the world” he continued: “The Williams sisters from the drug and crime infested Compton town in Carlifornia, Mike Tyson, Evander Hollyfield and Anthony Joshua in boxing, Michael Jordan, Lebron James and Hakeem Olajuwon in Basketball and Lionel Messi, Bukayo Saka, Mikel Obi and Victor Osimhen in football as well as Usain Bolt and Carl Lewis in athletes have all become rich and famous through sports.
“These young men and women are leaving Nigeria with the hope of finding jobs that will secure their future. The SPRF with its sure reward will give them that hope and assurance that if they have the talent and put in the hard work and sacrifice they can translate from “rags to riches.” he said
The SPRF is targeting to raise an initial 10 billion Naira at a fund raising dinner in February that will go strictly to rewarding sportsmen and women who win medals or finish on the podium at the Olympics, Commonwealth, All Africa Games and major World Championships.
“The SPRF has a board of trustees made up of high successful men and women of impeccable integrity and there is no wiggle room for favoritism or nepotism as rewards are strictly based on performance and the fund will be there for generations of Nigerian youth” Kienka added
The SPRF has earmarked for the Olympics: N10 million for gold, N7.5 million for silver and N5 million for bronze. Commonwealth Games winners will receive N5 million for gold, N3million for silver and N2 million for bronze while All Africa Games winners and World Championship winners will get N3 million for gold, N2 million for silver and N1 million for bronze.
The SPRF has as president Ahmadu Musa Kida former deputy managing director of Totalenergies Nigeria and presently a non executive director of the conglomerat; Odein Ajumogobia, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Petroleum is Vice President National and Government, Professor Wale Sulaiman, a world acclaimed Neuro surgeon is Vice President Diaspora while Ifueko Okauro is Vice President Finance. Other members of the board are Kanu Nwankwo, Chioma Ajunwa, Dr Godfrey Achilihu – a renowned American trained Cardiologist,. Joe Kyaagba an architect; Yusuf Datti a financial consulytant and Patricia Sulaiman and Associate professor who is deputy executive secretary.
