The National Assembly has pledged to appropriate more funds for sports in the 2018 budget.
The vice chairman Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Kabir Marfa Garba made the pledge on Tuesday at the opening of the Sports Summit and Exhibition held at Package B of the Abuja National Stadium.
“We know the position of sports in Nigeria and we know the value of sports. It is virtually the only thing that unites Nigerians regardless of geo-political or tribal leanings. Once it is sports, Nigerians become one.
“The National Assembly as the pillar of democracy cannot be left behind. We will do everything possible and the Senate President has asked me to convey on his behalf, to the teeming population, that the National Assembly will give the Ministry and all the contingents all the support that they will need.
“We will give the Sports Minister all the support he requires. We know the year is coming with a lot of events especially the World Cup in Russia. We will be up and doing and will not let Nigerians and the Ministry down. We will do everything possible to ensure that we don’t just go there as spectators but to win the cup so we will do everything possible to support the players and the athletes.”
A busy year awaits Nigeria in the sporting calendar as her athletes are due to take part in the Commonwealth Games apart from the FIFA World Cup, the Basketball World Championship and other international competitions.
The Ministry had appealed to the National Assembly to appropriate more funds in its budgetary allocation to the Ministry to enable it to take care of expenses for upcoming international competitions.