Sports

Wike: Breathing Fresh Air Across Sports Sector In Rivers

Published

8 years ago

May 29, 2018

It is not often that a dancer knows whether he is dancing well or gyrating out of tune . In fact, a popular cliché states that a dancer neither sees his own back or scores himself, rather, he is assessed and rated by his audience.
That is why the performance of His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, GSSRS, POS, Governor of Rivers State’s performance in the Sports Sector would have to be seen from the prison of stakeholders and the general public.
Since the 29th of May, 2015, when Wike took over as the governor of the state, the sports sector has enjoyed a new lease of life to the extent that the state has become a destination of choice for sports administrators other stakeholders and events. The sector has also become a major tool in the engagement and empowerment of the youth within the state and beyond.
No surprise then, that the governor has been inundated with a plethora of awards, apparently in appreciation for his vision, commitment and palpable achievements in Sports promotion and development.
The awards, recognitions and commendations have been swift and large. The umbrella body for sports journalism in the country, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, was the first to identify the commitment and love for sports in the governor by making him its national patron, barely six months in office in 2015, an award which was revalidated last month.
A lot of sports and outfits followed suit before the apex body in world sports journalism, the International Sports Press Association, AIPS-Africa crown him with the exclusive award of Power of Sports, POS, which Governor Wike received in Brussels, Belgium a few weeks ago. The award, which made him only the second recipient in Africa marks profound achievement in sports and the ability of the receiver to use sports as a tool to re-engineer the society for peace and empowerment.
Indeed, the awards and recognition did not come without justification. The Governor Wike’s administration actually worked very hard for the encomiums and recognition being harvested at present. From inheriting a sports sector that was in near comatose state, heavily disillusioned and indebted work force (athletes) dilapidated infrastructure, the administration succeeded in clearing the Augean stable and returning life, hope and vibrancy to the sector.
Ab initio, Governor Wike in his early days in office had declared his readiness to make sports one of his administration’s key point in creating opportunities to maximize the potentials of the people, particularly, the youth and the state.
With the NEW vision mantra of the administration in tow, the government move to bring fresh air to bear and spread across, athletes, administrators and infrastructure.
Sports associations now have not only opportunities to train and prepare for major competitions but attend national and international meets which were, a rare occurrence in the recent past.
Rivers United Football Club, a merger of defunct Sharks and Dolphins FCs, Rivers Angels FC, the women football club side, Rivers Hoopers, the basketball team and other sports at theSstate’s sport council were rejuvenated and given the platform to be competitive.
Despite competing demands and lean purse, Governor Wike, also called Mr. Projects has revived most of the ailing sports facilities in the state. In 2016, the over 30 year-old Alfred Diette Spiff Sports Complex, which can host upto 30 sports events was refurbished and standard raised for optimum performance for athletes. The Port Harcourt Pleasure Park, improved Adokiye Amiesimaka Sports Stadium and rebuilt linkage roads are all legacies of this sport loving administration.
Since then, Port Harcourt and indeed, Rivers State in general have been turned into a mecca of sorts for sports and stakeholders. From hosting and sponsoring the Under-23 Eagles, preparatory to their eventful outing at the last Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil, the state under Wike has continued to play important roles in motivating not only the state teams, but national teams as well, to do well in international competitions.
Moreso, the state is breaking barriers and expanding frontiers by synergising with reputable international organizations to bring events to the state and establish institutions that would groom young talents for tomorrow.
Only yesterday, the government, through the instrumentality of the Governor, hosted the Super Eagles’ pre-2018 World Cup match against the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium. The game which ended one goal apiece was organised by the Nigeria football federation and sponsored by the State to showcase the team to Nigerians before they proceed to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Earlier same day, Governor Wike, in company of Real Madrid Football Club officials laid the foundation stone of the Rivers Football Academy in Port Harcourt, an academy to be supervised by Spanish side, Real Madrid FC and is expected to groom aspiring Rivers young people in the best traditions of the world renowned football club.
Before yesterday’s landmark development, the Governor had made it possible for the state to host in Port Harcourt, National Wrestling Championship tagged Governor Nyesom Wike Wrestling Championship and the African Wrestling Championship for Junior Cadet and Senior categories, for the first time in Nigeria. The African Championship had over 40 countries from all over Africa in attendance.
Perhaps, understanding the major thrust of Governor Wike’s sports Policy which include; instant attention to sports issues because they affect the youth, job creation and skill development through boosting sports, mobilisation of the youth segment of the state away from crime through sports and adequate budgetary provision to sports -N2.5 billion in 2018, would enable one to come to terms with the huge commitment, importance and passion Wike attached to sports as a tool for state and national development.
Speaking on the governor’s giant strides, particularly, the level of commitment shown so far in placing sports in the front burner in the state, President of SWAN, Honour Sirawoo said that the his strides were commendable and a welcome development.
“Governor Wike has shown commendable vision and commitment in sports development. He has shown good understanding of the implications of a sound sports policy, which is a plus for a state like Rivers in the face of a fast growing economy stimulus that sports has turned into.
“I must say that the governor has done so much to deserve to be called Pillar of Sports in Africa and Nigeria”, said the SWAN President.
For the Head-volleyball coach in the state, Mr Opakriba Harry, “Governor Nyesom Wike is God-sent to redirect the course of sports development in the state. I believe that he has a lot of package for the sector. We have seen some, especially, the refurbishment of sports facilities, the reintroduction of grassroots sports competitions. Today, we are having inter-local government competitions in near regular basis, I think that is the only way to unearth talents, grow sports in the state and be competitive in Nigeria and beyond”.
A sports journalist and former media officer of Rangers International, Mr Foster Chime said that he has been amazed at the zeal and energy Governor Wike always commits to sports. He believes that the governor has made himself a catalyst as far as sports development is concerned and that other political leaders and well-to-do Nigerians should borrow a leaf from him and invest in sports, which he sees as a sure means of engaging the youth positively.
Indeed, it has been all accolades for the governor as far as the impact he has made in sports is concerned. From politicians, sports administrators, athletes to the man on the street, the verdict is that Governor Wike has done well and should be encouraged to do more.
An athlete with the state’s Sports Council, who did not want his name in print said he has been happy with the governor since the past three years. According to him, the Sports Council seemed to have come alive in the past three years. This, he believes follows the governor’s his public challenge to the Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Boma Iyaye over his apparent too much attention on football to the detriment of other sports. But things have started happening in other sports”, he noted.
Another Sports Council personnel on condition of anonymity said that the present administration has done well in re-engineering sports in the state but still needs to do more in order to carry everybody along.
According to him, though a lot has been happening in the state, especially in football, the grassroots in yet to experience the new wave of change in the industry. He suggests that the Rivers State FA should be empowered to play its role by making the state FA cup competition and super league more attractive, and reviving some of the moribund grassroots football competitions that made Port Harcourt a pool of football talents in the 1970s as ’80s.
Overall however, it is an overwhelming verdict that Governor Wike has transformed the sports sector, raised the stakes and opened Rivers State to various opportunities derivable from the sports industry, which hinge on the tripod of recreation, tourism and youth empowerment, which will certainly rub off positively on the revenue of the state and people.
These are indeed part of the immense democracy dividends accruable from the efforts of Governor Nyesom Wike in three years and counting.

Sports

NDG: Rivers Coach Appeal To NDDC In Talent Discovery

Published

2 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Chess coach Nnamso Umoren has appealed to relevant authorities, most especially the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to provide funds for scouting of hidden talents at the grassroots.

He stated that lack of funds is hindering most coaches from doing what they are expected to do; hence, they don’t have enough money to travel to rural areas to discover talents.

Umoren made the appeal in an exclusive interview with Tidesports yesterday, in Benin, Edo State, shortly after the second edition of the Niger Delta Games drew her curtains closed.

According to him, without coaches no athlete can perform better, as coaches are the ones that teach athletes the techniques and rudiments of every sport.

“I appeal to the commission to support the coaches with funds to enable them to go to the areas and discover talents. Lack of funds for coaches limits the extent to which they can move around within the state in search of talents.

“I am of the general opinion that without coaches, athletes cannot perform better; hence, the coaches teach them the rudiments of the sports,” Umoren said.

The Chess coach called on the Rivers State government to organise tournaments in the State to know the strength of athletes discovered, saying that will improve sporting activities in the State.

However, he commends NDDC, who are the major sponsors of NDG, and Dumamis Icon Limited for close to perfect organisation.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Rivers Sports Director Rates Niger Delta Games High

Published

2 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Director of Sports, Obia Inyingikabo has that the just concluded second edition of the Niger Delta Games, held in Benin, Edo State, was very impressive and well organised.

She commended both the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Dumamis Icon Limited for the sponsorship and organisation respectively.

According to her, the problem of the team was the epileptic situation of shuttle buses, which was not under the direct control of the sports council.

Inyingikabo said this in a telephone interview with Tidesports yesterday; she confirmed that apart from the poor transport system for athletes, every arrangement went successfully as planned.

The director praised her athletes for making the State proud by winning gold, silver, and bronze medals during the games. She assured the people of Rivers State that in the next edition they will perform better and also used the opportunity to commend Rivers State promoting sports in the State.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Treat Bees, Silkworms As Valuable Resources – Don

Published

2 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

A Professor of Applied Entomology and Pest Management, at the Federal University of Technology Akure,(FUTA), Olufunmilayo Oladipo, has said insects such as bees ,houseflies silkworms and similar species should be seen and treated as valuable resources whose careful management could enhance food security, generate income, support industrial applications, and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic diversification.

Prof. Oladipo made the remark while delivering the 193rd Inaugural Lecture of the institution on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

Citing the honeybee as a prime example, Oladipo noted that beyond honey production, bees provide beeswax, royal jelly, propolis and venom used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, while their pollination services significantly increase crop yields and biodiversity.

She also referenced silkworms, whose silk supports textile industries and export earnings, as well as black soldier flies and houseflies, locusts, grasshoppers, mealworms and crickets which are increasingly used in the production of high-protein livestock and aquaculture feeds, thereby reducing dependence on expensive imported feed ingredients.

Speaking on the topic, “Six-Legged Arthropods: Food Security, Health and National Economic Development,” Professor Oladipo highlighted the multiple contributions of insects to national development in a monolithic economy like Nigeria, where over-dependence on crude oil has limited diversification.

She pointed out that insects serve as food for humans and feed for livestock, provide income for households through apiculture, sericulture, and insect-based enterprises, and supply raw materials for pharmaceutical and industrial uses. Beneficial insects also enhance food security through nutrient recycling, biological control of harmful species and weeds, and pollination of crops and horticultural plants, resulting in bumper harvests and increased biodiversity.

Professor Oladipo further mentioned termites and dung beetles for their role in nutrient recycling and soil aeration, improving soil fertility and agricultural productivity. Ladybird beetles and parasitic wasps, she explained, serve as natural biological control agents, reducing populations of destructive pests without harming the environment.

In the area of public health, Oladipo declared that though “the economic toll of insect vectors is staggering, stretching from the household to national economy, thereby undermining productivity, draining family resources, and constraining national growth, certain insects negatively affect agriculture, public health, and livelihoods”.

The professor pointed to the importance of understanding mosquitoes and other disease vectors such as tsetse flies, whose management is critical in combating malaria, yellow fever, dengue, sleeping sickness and other vector-borne diseases that weaken workforce productivity and strain national resources.

She cited data showing that malaria alone costs Africa over 12 billion dollars annually in healthcare expenditures, lost productivity, and reduced investment. Beyond mortality, she emphasized, insect-borne diseases also contribute to morbidity, chronic disability, and reduced workforce efficiency, imposing heavy burdens on families, health systems, and national economies.

She referenced maggot therapy, currently practiced in teaching hospitals in Kano, as a safe and effective treatment for chronic diabetic wounds adding that bioactive compounds from fungus-insect complexes such as Bombyx batryticatus and Beauveria bassiana, which have been developed into medicines with anticonvulsant, anticancer, antifungal, anticoagulant, and hypolipidemic properties.

Weaver ants, bee venom, and cantharidin from blister beetles, she stated, also possess therapeutic value, including immune-boosting, anti-diabetic, anti-arthritic, and antiviral applications. She maintained that strategic government investment in entomotherapy could strengthen healthcare delivery, reduce pharmaceutical import dependence, save lives, and support national economic diversification.

According to her, these examples demonstrate that insects are not merely pests to be eradicated but strategic biological assets that, if properly managed, can enhance food security, strengthen public health systems, generate employment, and support Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

The Agric expert noted however, that certain pest species continue to pose threats to agriculture and public health, thereby negatively affecting economic growth. She stressed that proper management, rather than indiscriminate eradication, is key to maximizing the benefits of these six-legged resources.

Professor Oladipo advocated integrated pest management strategies that prioritize environmentally friendly approaches, including botanicals, pheromones, biological control agents, growth regulators, and semiochemicals, while minimizing the use of broad-spectrum synthetic insecticides.

She warned that excessive reliance on chemicals has resulted in resistance, environmental pollution, and harm to non-target organisms. She also called for stricter regulation of pesticide importation and usage under professional supervision, and for stronger surveillance by regulatory authorities to prevent the introduction of exotic pest species.

To strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in entomology, she urged the government to support insect rearing and the conservation of beneficial species and to establish more Departments of Entomology in universities.

On the benefits of insects, she stressed the need for shifting societal perceptions and promoting sustainable practices, calling for stronger linkages between universities and industries to translate research findings into practical applications and commercial opportunities.

Professor Oladipo further appealed for increased funding for research and for targeted support for brilliant but indigent students in science-based disciplines, emphasizing that nurturing the next generation of entomologists and agricultural scientists is critical for national development.

Presenting the inaugural lecturer, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, FAS, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development), Professor Sunday Oluyamo, described Professor Oladipo as a distinguished scholar whose research has significantly advanced the field of entomology and strengthened FUTA’s academic and research profile.

The Vice Chancellor who described the lecture as ‘timely’, given Nigeria’s challenges in food security, public health, and economic diversification, commended the inaugural lecturer’s scholarly depth, resilience, and dedication to mentoring students, reaffirming FUTA’s commitment to research that addresses pressing national development priorities.