Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu has urged sports administrators to run the sector professionally in a bid to generate employment for Nigerians.
The governor made this statement on Monday in Abuja at a book presentation titled “Sports Law and Practice” organized by the Institute for Capacity Building, Entertainment and Sports Law Development (ICESLAD) and held at the Ladi Kwali Hall of the Sheraton Hotel.
The book was written by barrister at law, sports administrator, and football agent Dr. Emmanuel Oluwafemi Olowononi.
According to Tribune, Akeredolu claimed that the book will make a significant contribution to the growth and development of sports in Nigeria by filling a gap left by the absence of sports law and publications in the country.
Akeredolu added that the book will add professionalism to how sports should be run in Nigeria and be of benefit to the country’s sportsmen and women.
The Ondo governor said the book will serve as a working tool and reference for the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and to advise the minister.
“In all ways the book will contribute to the growth of sports in Nigeria. You see when you have a dearth of publications on any area of life particularly on sports and you know sports is growing. Gone are those days when sports was all about amateurism. There is professionalism now in all sports. There are professional people who are athletes and footballers.
“This book has come at the right time to bridge the dearth of publication in sports law in Nigeria and this first book on sports law is going to open everybody’s eyes and will open doors to many lawyers who can now take it up. So many lawyers are being churned out by the Law School in their thousands and if a few of them can go into sports law or sports administration or become sports agents, a lot of money is there. This book will assist greatly because the author has given us a tool to work with,” Akeredolu said.
