Youth engagement: AMBO promises systematic investment in Osun sports, South-West collaboration
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the August 15 Osun State governorship election, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), has pledged to adopt a systematic and sustainable approach to sports development while collaborating with other South-West governments to strengthen the region’s sports economy.
Oyebamiji made the commitment during an interactive session with students, youths and civil society stakeholders in Osun State, where he received recommendations on how to reposition the state’s sports sector, develop infrastructure and harness its abundant sporting talents.
Responding to a recommendation by the Chairman of the Osun State Football Association (OSFA), Mr Sola Fanawopo, Oyebamiji said his administration, if elected, would pursue strategic partnerships with other South-West states to develop sports infrastructure, create opportunities for young talents and attract greater investment into the sector.
Oyebamiji said sports development should not be confined to individual states, stressing that regional collaboration would provide a wider platform for talent discovery, competitions, investment and professional development.
“The development of sports should not be restricted to individual states. Collaboration among South-West governments can provide a larger platform for talent discovery, competitions, investment and professional development.”
He said his administration would work with other governments in the region to develop a coordinated sports development framework that would benefit young people and athletes across the South-West.
According to him, “the approach would involve identifying the sporting strengths of individual states, developing the required infrastructure and creating opportunities for athletes and other sports professionals to compete and progress beyond state boundaries.
Oyebamiji also promised to move away from ad-hoc interventions and establish a clear and coordinated framework for sports development, with emphasis on infrastructure, grassroots talent discovery, coaching development and regular competitions.
“We must approach sports development through systems and processes. There has to be a clear framework that allows us to identify talents from the grassroots, develop them and provide the infrastructure and coaching they need to succeed.”
Earlier, Fanawopo had challenged Oyebamiji to prioritise sports infrastructure and establish a structured system for identifying, nurturing and developing talents from the grassroots.
Fanawopo said Osun could no longer depend on the accidental discovery of talented athletes, stressing the need for deliberate policies, adequate facilities and sustainable programmes capable of producing athletes for national and international competitions.
“We can produce talents accidentally, but we should now have a system that produces talents consistently. We must be able to turn medium talents to stars, but we are not able to do that because of lack of infrastructure,” Fanawopo said.
He urged Oyebamiji to develop basic sporting facilities across communities and strengthen school sports through regular inter-collegiate competitions involving tertiary institutions across the state.
According to Fanawopo, investment in sports infrastructure should be viewed beyond recreation, as a properly structured sports sector could attract investment, create employment and provide sustainable opportunities for young people.
He also called for sports to be incorporated into the state’s broader development agenda, noting that the training of coaches and provision of sporting facilities should receive attention comparable to other critical sectors.
“Sports infrastructure is as important as road infrastructure. Training our coaches is as important as training our teachers. We must embed all these things in the development agenda,” he said.
Earlier in his address, Oyebamiji assured the stakeholders that his administration would make sports development an important component of its youth empowerment and economic development agenda.
While reiterated his commitment to sports development, APC candidate said his experience in management and financial administration had reinforced his belief in the importance of systems and processes, which he promised to apply to sports development in Osun.
The APC candidate promised to invest in sporting facilities across the state and establish a clear pathway through which talented young people could progress from grassroots competitions to professional and international levels.
He also expressed his readiness to collaborate with sports associations, schools, tertiary institutions and private investors to attract greater investment into the sector.
Oyebamiji said such partnerships would not only improve sporting facilities but also create jobs, expand opportunities for young people and position Osun as an important part of a stronger South-West sports ecosystem.
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