The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Shehu Dikko, has pledged the commission’s support for programmes of the Cityboy Movement aimed at improving the livelihoods and expanding opportunities for young people across Nigeria.
Dikko made the commitment yesterday when he received the Youth Leader of the Cityboy Movement, Sokoto State Chapter, and former Nigerian international, Alhaji Shehu Abdullahi, at his office.
The NSC chairman said the commission remained committed to partnerships capable of creating opportunities for the younger generation and strengthening structures supporting youth development at the grassroots.
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According to him, the visit provided an opportunity to explore how the sports sector could contribute to broader youth empowerment initiatives, particularly through grassroots talent development, sporting opportunities and structured programmes designed to help young people build sustainable livelihoods.
Dikko said the commission was willing to collaborate with relevant youth-focused organisations whose programmes aligned with efforts to develop sporting talent and improve opportunities for young Nigerians.
Earlier, Abdullahi said the delegation visited the NSC to strengthen collaboration around the Youth Employment Programme Initiative (YEP I), a grassroots development programme designed to create sustainable opportunities for young people in Sokoto State and other parts of the North-West.
He explained that YEP I adopts a multi-sector approach to youth development, with focus areas including sports development, digital empowerment, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, renewable energy, creative industries and youth investment.
According to him, the initiative is also designed to identify and develop grassroots sporting talents while supporting football academies with equipment and other resources.
He said the programme would create competitive platforms for young athletes and expand access to sports and technology facilities, particularly at the grassroots.
Abdullahi maintained that effective youth development required collaboration across different sectors, noting that sports could serve not only as a platform for discovering talent but also as a pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and social development.
He thanked Dikko for receiving him and the delegation, while commending the NSC chairman for what he described as his efforts to revive sporting activities and strengthen the development of sports in Nigeria.
The proposed collaboration is expected to focus on expanding grassroots participation, identifying emerging sporting talents and linking young people with opportunities in sports, technology, entrepreneurship and other areas of economic empowerment.
The initiative also seeks to strengthen youth development structures beyond major urban centres by creating opportunities for young people in communities across Sokoto State and the wider North-West region.
The engagement between the NSC and the Cityboy Movement therefore signals an attempt to use sports and related sectors as tools for youth empowerment, employment creation and grassroots development.