Nigeria’s frontline voluntary paramilitary organisation, Man O’ War Nigeria, has expressed its readiness to partner with sports stakeholders to discover and nurture grassroots sporting talent for national development.
The Independent Mirror reports that the National Commander of the organisation, Ademola Gbenga, said the organisation was prepared to support grassroots sports talent discovery programmes through its structures across the country, in line with its vision of “Build the Youth, Build the Nation.”
Gbenga made this known during a strategic partnership visit by the News Editor of Sahel Sports Newspaper, Abdulgafar Oladimeji, to the organisation’s national headquarters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said Man O’ War Nigeria was well-positioned to establish strategic relationships that would promote physical fitness, discipline and national unity through sports.
The National Commander, who was represented by MC A. R. Ikumapayi, said Man O’ War Nigeria was a youth-focused, uniformed voluntary organisation with a presence in all 36 states of the federation and the FCT, including tertiary institutions, secondary schools and communities.
“One of our core mandates is youth development, leadership training and the positive engagement of young people. Sports is one of our strongest tools to achieve that,” he said.
He added that sports was not merely about competition but also about instilling discipline, teamwork, resilience and patriotism, which he described as values upheld by the organisation.
Meanwhile, the News Editor of Sahel Sports Newspaper, Abdulgafar Oladimeji, described Man O’ War Nigeria as one of the country’s longest-serving voluntary paramilitary organisations, with an enviable history.
Oladimeji urged the organisation’s national command to further strengthen the use of sports to promote physical fitness and agility.
He stressed that regular sporting activities were essential for maintaining physical readiness, building mental toughness and fostering unity among members.
He expressed optimism that strategic collaboration between Man O’ War Nigeria and sports stakeholders would contribute significantly to grassroots sports development and youth empowerment across the country.
