The Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Hulayat Omidiran, has said Nigeria’s sports industry has the potential to contribute more than 50 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) if properly harnessed through deliberate investment and strategic policies.
Mrs Omidiran made the remarks while receiving the National Executive Committee of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), led by its President, Isaiah Benjamin, during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
A former member of the Executive Board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the FIFA Women’s Football Committee, Mrs Omidiran, described sports as a powerful driver of economic growth, youth empowerment and national unity.
“Sports is more than entertainment; it keeps communities together, strengthens families, and, if properly harnessed, can contribute more than 50 per cent of a nation’s GDP. Nigeria is not there yet, but this administration is genuinely committed to unlocking the immense benefits of a vibrant sporting ecosystem,” she said.
She reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning sports as a catalyst for economic development and social cohesion.
