Predisposing factors of youth empowerment through sports
By Professor Emmanuel Ojeme
The viability of Youth Empowerment through Sports has been a subject-matter of interest to individuals and institutions. This column has devoted its past two weeks outings on this issue. So far, it has been sufficiently analysed and argued in terms of its viability. This has possibly enabled all concerned and interested persons and institutions to comprehend why Sports and Youth development or empowerment are mutually integrated. What remains significant is a consideration of the predisposing factors to its optimum actualization. Unlike the African tropical rain forest that can develop on its own into a beautiful green vegetation with great allure and ecosystem, youth empowerment through sports would not occur on its own but with a cultivated and sustainable institutionalised organic national framework.
Sports would yield its bounteous empowerment benefits for the youth and society if cultivated. This article has volunteered to tease this topic by an attempted elucidation of the predisposing factors that could trigger a flourishing youth empowerment in any nation.
The conceptual analysis of youth empowerment and sports has been undertaken previously. Let us be reminded, however, that empowerment of youth is taken to mean experiences, knowledge, skills and affective enculturation of the youth through sports to enhance her productive capacity.
This empowerment must be vertically structured until the empowered products are able to attain enhanced productive capacity in terms of finding meaning and purpose in their own lives through sports. This project in a national context could be successful if:
1. There is a national ideological spinal cord that defines national development philosophy, values, vision and policies.
2. Within the above framework is a socket for the sports development framework that integrates youth empowerment
3. Youth sports development specific policies, visions and programmes
4. Development of youth programmes and implementation strategies through the schools and communities
5. Investment in youth sports infrastructures and specialized personnel
6. Profiling of youths in their various programmes in relation to their competences and capabilities
7. Creating outlets locally, nationally and internationally for their further development
8. Creating entrepreneurship programmes in relation to sports in particular in all its multiple dimensions.
9. Creating vocational training centres for youths that are unable to enrol in the universities
10. Innovating technical education curriculum to include sports vocational skills.
11. For the high profile athletes who are harvested to represent Nigeria in international competitions and who win laurels are indeed a special breed that deserves focused attention. They must be nourished and protected in their post youthful and active days through specialised policies and programmes.
They should have: (i) a life insurance (ii) means of livelihood at old age (iii) health insurance etc.
Never again must it be that national sports heroes and ambassadors are left uncatered for after serving the nation.
At this juncture, it is not possible to close this conversation without reference to the demise of Late Jerry Okorodudu. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen. It is sad that the great Jerry, a boxer of great repute who did the nation proud as a pugilist suffered so much on his sick bed and not much was heard from the nation he served with all his might. So many others like him, do not give us a good name. Were there to be a vertically ordered policy framework that encompasses both youth empowerment, supervision, profiling and nourishment, this may not have been the case.
The 2019/2023, Sports Minister, as stated in his Milestones book already in print, one thing he achieved is the institutionalization of Sports Heroes and Sports Ambassadors as well as the financial youth empowerment fund which however, is for all Youths. It is to be expected that all these would be integrated into a national policy framework with strategies for its implementation.
It is to be expected that this brief conversation would trigger government, institutions and stakeholders to redouble efforts towards the actualization of youth empowerment through sports. There are multiple benefits for the youths and the nation. Are we ready? Lets go Nigeria.
#eob
This piece was written by prof Emmanuel Ojeme, you can reach him via EMAIL:successojeme@yahoo.com
