Nigerians have talent to lead global sports, Shettima tells new CAF secretary
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has urged Samson Adamu, the newly appointed General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), to use his position to promote Nigerian interests and advance African football.
Shettima gave the charge on Tuesday when he received Adamu and a delegation led by the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He described Adamu’s appointment as the first Nigerian to occupy the position as evidence of the country’s capacity to produce leaders for global sports.
The Vice-President said Nigeria’s achievements in sports were driven by the talent of its people, the dedication of sports administrators and institutions responsible for identifying and developing athletes.
“Our nation has earned its place in the world of sports. We have flown our flag in arenas where few expected us to perform magic and we have made the impossible appear almost familiar, fundamentally because of the quality of our people,” he said.
Conveying President Bola Tinubu’s goodwill, Shettima described Adamu as a role model for young Nigerians and urged him to discharge his new responsibilities with integrity, diligence and national pride.
“The President is proud of you, Samson Adamu. Go and do a yo-man’s job. Go and promote, protect, project and preserve the interest of the Nigerian nation,” he said.
He described football as a unifying force in Nigeria, saying the sport often brings citizens together irrespective of their ethnic, religious and social differences.
“Anytime Nigeria plays, it tends to subsume all other identities. Football and sports generally are a source of unity for our country. What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us,” he said.
