A former member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Lumumba Dah Adeh has suggested that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must be officially briefed about the poor condition of sports facilities in the country for effective corrective action to be taken.
The proprietor of JC Raiders FC of Jos and a former aspirant for the post of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president added that the problem of poor sports infrastructure has become a perennial issue in Nigeria.
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Adeh stated further in an exclusive interview with Sports247 in Fes, Morocco that past governments in the country have not paid enough attention to the recreational sector as a whole.
“It’s a general problem that sports is not given its rightful place in Nigeria. It’s not about the president of today, but it’s something that has a long historical background in this country.
“When we talk about sports infrastructure, I strongly believe that our political leaders since independence have not given this sector its place of pride over the years.
“That’s why the level of infrastructure for sports in this country is very, very low and poor,” said the former representative from Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency.
He also took a look at the maintenance of facilities in the country and posited that it is another thorny issue that has to be tackled with full force by President Tinubu.
Adeh averred, “Another major issue we have to look at is that of our poor maintenance culture. That is why even the few facilities we have have not been kept in good shape.
“It all means that much needs to be done in terms of infrastructural development for Nigeria. So, I must say that the president’s attention has to be drawn to this issue.
“I believe that the president, if rightfully briefed, will place emphasis on the issue of infrastructure as one of the top priorities for proper sports development in Nigeria.”
He concluded with a look at the Super Eagles’ fixture against Mozambique on Monday at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and stressed that the players need to be motivated to do well, in order to honour Nigeria.
Adeh disclosed, “In times like this, what I try to do is just psyche the players. I will tell them that it’s not over until it’s over. Complacency can cause a lot of problems.
“The same can come from overconfidence or relying on past victories. We are as good as our last match here, but we also need the next game to move forward in a tournament situation like this.”
