SPRF Plans Bumper Reward Packages For Generations Of Nigeria’s Sporting Youth

To attract the attention of Nigerian youth to sports as a means of wealth creation, Sports Performance Reward Fund (SPRF) has promised bumper reward packages for any athlete that attains podium success at the Olympics, Commonwealth, All Africa Games and major World Championships.

SPRF president, Engr Musa Ahmadu Kida, made the announcement at their inaugural world press conference on Thursday in Abuja, saying the plan which is a private driving initiative is to raise N10billion from private individuals and organisations both at home and abroad as a reward for generation of Nigerian sporting star athletes.

According to Kida, who doubles as the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), SPRF 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 All Africa Games gold will attract N3 million, silver N2 million and bronze N1 million, just as selected World Championships have the same rewards as the Africa Games.

“The aims and objectives of the SPRF are pretty straight forward – to drive and motivate Nigerian youth with sporting talent to put in hard work and establish a guaranteed and sure reward for generations of Nigeria’s sporting youth.
“We want to make sports an oasis of excellence in nigeria. If you can run 9.5secs in 100m, on top of what the government can or will do for you, we will motivate and help you.

“To attract massive private sector interest in sports and instigate a private sector led sports culture in Nigeria and make the country a major sports power in the next three Olympic circles,” he said.

He described the sports industry as the second largest platform for empowerment, employment and engagement in the world – next to information technology. “As a nation with so much sporting talent and youth unemployment, we ought to direct the attention of our youth more to sports as a means of creating wealth. We are sure, therefore, that the SPRF initiative will open opportunities for employment for workers in gyms, athletics clubs etc all of which will spring up.”
Kida thanked the minister of sports development, Senator. John Owan Enoh, for assuring the SPRF of his support, saying the initiative was in line with the aspirations of sports business in Nigeria.
A member of SPRF Board of Trustee and first Nigerian Olympic gold medalist, DSP Chioma Ajunwa, said transparency was key to the realisation of the SPRF objectives.

“All donations, contributions and any manner of support is done on the website and those not done directly are reflected on the site. Also, all disbursements to recipients are posted on the website which is accessible to the public.”
She said that hard work, dedication and discipline was key to achieving her feat at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, while calling on Nigerian youths to stay focused.
The Fund, which has as one of its goals the attraction of massive private sector interest in sports, has as members of the board of trustees former minister of foreign affairs and state for petroleum, Odein Ajumogobia (SAN); a world acclaimed Neuro-surgeon and president RNZ Global, Prof. Wale Sulaiman; first Nigerian Olympic gold medalist, Chioma Ajunwa; former Super Eagles captain and Olympic gold medalist, Kanu Nwakwo; former chairman of FIRS, Ifueko Omogui-Okauru; and MD DAAR Communications Ltd, Chief Tony Akiotu.

Others are, a renowned cardiovascular surgeon and managing director, Heartland Cardo Consultants, Dr. Onye G. Achilihu; a financial consultant and director, Dala Hard Courts, Yusuf Datti and a director of RNZ Global, Mrs. Patricia Sulaiman. While Musa Ahmadu Kida, a former deputy managing director TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Nigeria, is the president of the board, Mr Godwin Kienka, a renowned journalist and author, is the executive secretary.