The Presidential Aspirant of Peopled Democratic Party(PDP), Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa has outlined his massive investment plans in sports, ICT, Film and other industries he termed low hanging fruits for Nigeria if elected as president in 2023.
According to him Sports, ICT and Film etc are keys for Nigeria’s economic transformation from a mono- economy status saying that sports and film industries alone can take Nigeria to First World Status as we are in nation blessed with a lot of Human Resources.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with a few journalists in Ikeja, Lagos he pointed out that he could not be targeting just the non-oil sector but that the economic strategy would be holistic and doable aiming to ensure that oil sectors of the economy is fruitful.
He said gone are the days we look at sports and entertainment sectors as wasteful and un -economic saying his government if he makes it as president come 2023 would see every sector as equal and do all he can to make them productive.
Apparently, his views hints to the fact that some nations like Spain has used sports to leap- frog to a first would position after the Spanish Civil war of the 1940’s.
Although the presidential aspirant did not go into it, it should be recalled that Spain often the Civil was leveraged sports activity like ball fighting and soccer and tourism (turning its monasteries and catholic establishment in to tourism Spain), especially with Red method and Bachelors football Club e.t.c to become a great economic power.
The Aspirant listed out that he is sad that Nigerian Football is currently being allowed to fall, saying that the only thing for which Nigeria is rated with in the world to pay is just Nollywood.
He said if given the chance he would use the exceptional managerial skills gained from running companies and associations in the country over the last 30 years to save Nigerian Sports and entertainment and make it into a world beater, adding that Nigeria can easily transform other creative industries.
Therefore, he urged our Sports administrators to put their acts together to save Nigeria, saying that the performance of the Nation’s soccer side the Supper Eagles and other national sports teams in recent times leaves much to be desired.
According to him, we should return back to the days of Obisia Nwakpa, Dick Tiger, Hogan Bassey, Christian Chukwu, Segun Odegbami, Mudashiru Lawal and others, when our citizens are stopped by officials in foreign airports just to inquire about the Kanu Nwankwo’s, J. J. Okocha, and the Okorodudu’s as well as others. said he: These days they stop you at Airports to ask about NollyWood stars like Akin and Pawpaw, and others. But we can do better than that.”
