Abdulgafar Oladimeji
Kano state government has offered scholarship to members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Kano Chapter to study sports journalism, our correspondent reports.
The Special Adviser, youths and sports to Kano state governor, Sani Musa Danja, disclosed that the offer covers their tuition fees.
He said , the beneficiaries have been identified and their enrolment process have been completed.
According to him, through interactions with stakeholders , the decision was reached for some sports writers, who are faced with the challenge of acquiring the required professional qualification to practice their trade should be given support to fill the gap.
Danja said, findings have revealed that for Kano sports writers to compete favorably there exists the urgent need to empower members of the association to acquire certain requisite qualification to enable them feature amongst the best in Nigeria and beyond.
Danja speaking, when he hosted SWAN members in his office, located within the premises of Kano state Library Complex, along Ahmadu Bello Way, said that the state government, under Abba Kabir Yusuf, on discovering this major challenge , acted swiftly to address the lapses, by offering to sponsor 10 SWAN members to pursue professional diploma in Sports Journalism at El Roi London University.
In his words: “ We give thanks to almighty Allah for his mercies, I want to thank our mentor and leader, Governor Yusuf who made this possible.
“his excellency takes the issue of empowering our people very seriously, the challenge facing our sports journalists is principally the issue of professional certification, some of our sports journalists have their degrees in other fields, but we are aware that, they also require to obtain certain minimum qualification in journalism or other related fields to help them to excel .
“In line with the policy of the government of his excellency, we have moved in to make sure these sons and daughters of Kano overcome this hinderance that may hinder their professional progress.
“The sports media is the back bone of sports development and sports promotion, our government is focused and committed to support and reshape the sports media to achieve the set out goal to empower Kano youths through sports.
“The mission of his excellency through this gesture is to empower our professional sports journalists and give them the required qualification to continue with their pursuit to upward steadily representation of Kano state in that sector.
Danja hinted that, Kano state government remains unrepentant in its upward investment drive to create a generation of professionals that would keep the state afloat on the terrain of quality and abundance human resources.
Reacting, Chairman SWAN Kano chapter, Comrade Zahradeen Saleh, thanked the state government for the support.
He said the scholarship offer is an major step towards uplifting the practice of sports journalism in the state.
Comrade Saleh also said the dividends of sports could only accrue with the effective operations of the sporting press through the training and re-training of sports writers.
He admitted that, acquiring the requisite qualification to practice sports journalism has been one of the major challenges confronting members of the association.
“Our members who are the beneficiaries of this offer are youths, on completion of the professional course, they will have stable professional growth and would be better equipped to contribute their quota to the development of the state,” he added.
