The minister of sports development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has expressed his commitment to meticulously review a proposal aimed at regulating the scouting system within Nigeria’s football landscape.
The proposal which was submitted by a delegation led by the national president of Prestige Football Academy, Uchendu Stephen Nwabara, during a meeting with the Minister in Abuja on Tuesday, acknowledged the critical role of scouting in nurturing and harnessing the nation’s sports potential.
According to the minister, Nigeria’s huge talent pool makes it a destination of choice for scouts from all around the world.
He said his Ministry is concerned about some of the general practices in the sports ecosystem, as he is working to ensure ethical standards are imbibed, and also provide equitable opportunities for aspiring young talents to excel in sport.
“Most people in the sector are concerned about the subject of the scouting process of our young men and women,” the Minister said.
“When our sportsmen and women go out of the shores of Nigeria and break forth, the support they send to their families and the laurels that they win is of benefit to the country.
“However, the manner in which some of our sportsmen and women leave needs to be addressed. Sports, in general, being a universal matter, promoted globally, and a country as big as Nigeria with its population and talent, has become like a laboratory for various actors to come in and out,” he said.
Senator Enoh added that his administration is deeply committed to fostering a conducive environment for the growth and development of sports in Nigeria. He stated that scouting forms the bedrock of identifying and nurturing future sports stars and there is a need to recognize the value of an organized scouting system that fosters fairness, transparency, and professionalism.
