Sports Minister, Senator John Owan Enoh, has described the Sports Performance Reward Fund (SPRF) as the fillip for comprehensive sports development, saying that it is a private sector fit that falls in line with the ‘new hope agenda’ of the Tinubu administration.
Speaking while receiving the trustees of the fund in his Abuja office, Senator Enoh said the initiative had the potential to galvanise sports development from the grassroots to Olympic heights, as parents, coaches, stakeholders and business men and women see a sure reward at the end of the tunnel.
The SPRF is set up to raise N10 billion that will go directly to rewarding sportsmen and women who win at the Olympics, Commonwealth, Africa Games and selected Championships.
The Fund plans to reward Olympic gold with N10 million, silver with N7.5 million and bronze with M5 million. Commonwealth gold will attract N5 million, silver N3 million and bronze N2 million, while Africa Games gold will attract N3 million, silver N2 million and bronze N1 million, just as selected Championships have the same rewards as the Africa Games.
The SPRF, represented by board of trustees member, Arch/Dr. Joe Adom Kyaagba and Godwin Kienka, the executive secretary, told the minister that the transparency model of the Fund is full proof as all funds donated and expended will be posted on the website – https://sprf.com.ng, which is already up and running – for all to see.
The Fund, which has as one of its goals the attraction of massive private sector interest in sports and the instigation of a private sector led sports culture in Nigeria, has as members of the board of trustees former Deputy MD TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Nigeria, Engr/Dr Ahmadu Musa Kida, who is currently a non-executive director of the firm; former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Petroleum, Odein Ajumogobia SAN; Prof. Wale Sulaiman, a world acclaimed Neuro-surgeon and President RNZ Global; Ifueko Omogui-Okauru, former Chair, FIRS and Dr. Onye G. Achilihu, a renowned cardiovascular surgeon and MD, Heartland Cardo Consultants.
Others are, Chief Consultant and CEO Capital Projects Consultants, Arch/Dr Kyaagba; MD DAAR Communications Ltd, Chief Tony Akiotu; Olympic gold medalist, DCP Chioma Ajunwa; Olympic gold medalist and ex captain of the Super Eagles, Kanu Nwankwo OON; a financial Consultant and Director, Dala Hard Courts, Yusuf Datti and Mrs. Patricia Sulaiman, a director of RNZ Global, who also serves as the Deputy Executive Secretary.
The SPRF, according to the board, will be rolled out at a launch dinner in Abuja as soon as the government confirms a date.
