Sports enthusiasts have kicked against the N31 billion allocated for sports by the Federal Government in 2024.
This amount comprises N7,999,058 for the overhead cost and N3,235,718 for personnel while over N20 billion was budgeted for capital expenditure for sports in the 2024 Appropriation Bill presented by President Tinubu and themed ‘Budget of Renewed Hope’.
From the figures gathered from the Budget Office of the Federation, the sports ministry will be one of the poorly funded ministries in 2024.
This comes after the FG split the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development into two ministries — the Ministry of Sports Development and the Ministry of Youth Development.
Information gathered revealed that 10 ministries will be receiving a total of N20.7 trillion collectively, which amounts to 86.3 per cent of the overall budget earmarked for 2024.
These ministries include finance, budget and planning, defence, education, and health.
Others are police affairs, works and housing, interior, agriculture and Niger Delta.
Reacting to the Federal Government’s allocation for sports, former Gombe State FA chairman, Shuaib Gara-Gombe, said, “Sports should be getting more funding from the government and it shows the level of commitment this government has given to sports.
“Let’s wait and see how the sports ministry utilises these funds as well as attracts the private sector to participate in the growth and development of sports in the country”.
Ace journalist, Afolabi Gambari, added that the allocation for sports showed the government took sports as recreation and not a sector that could boost the country’s economy.
“N31 billion is not enough and too little to run sports in a year”, Gambari said.
“It shows that the government is not looking at sports as an industry despite all the campaigns all these years. When you look at sports, it’s an industry that can provide jobs for the youths and as well take them off the streets”.
