Youth, Sports & Culture

The All Progressives Grand Alliance considers that policies for the development of youth, sports and culture are an aspect of national education. Their overriding aim is the creation of a new generation sound in body and mind, full of confidence and team spirit that has been developed in the field of competitive sport at the highest level, and capable of every challenge of an unpredictable world with easy assurance. In giving the youth a secure footing: in our cultural heritage, we give them an anchor which enables them to appropriate the technology and business sophistication of the modem world without losing their grounding in a secure traditional system of values. In club activities and team sports, experience are garnered which are directly applicable to nation building and future leadership responsibilities.

For the attainment of this goal, an APGA government:

i. Will initiate and monitor the implementation of legislations that fully protects the rights of the child defend the child against all forms of abuse and societal exploitation keeping with Geneva Convention on the Rights of Child.

ii. Will supports morally and financially, all existing youth groups whose programmes are consistent with the moral, physical and intellectual nurturing of the young.

iii. Will encourage the youth to take part in community development activities and programmes as a way of preparing them for future leadership roles.
iv. Will seek ways of making the National Youth Service programme more attractive to the youth by improving service conditions.

v. Will use intensive awareness campaign both in the media and through organized youth groups to sensitise the youth to the dangers of cultism, alcoholism, drug abuse, promiscuity and all other forms of social vices.

vi. Will create vocational and skill acquisition centres for the training of youths who do not have the benefit of formal education.

vii. Will encourage in more concrete terms, youth who are involved in sports, athletics through the provision of better facilities for training and recreation. In the same vein our national sports team shall receive full government support at all times and youth who excel in this pursuit will receive national recognition.

viii. Will sponsor individual sportsmen and women to participate in international sports competitions outside the country.

ix. Will encourage physically disabled youth who show interest in sports by providing specialized equipment and facilities for training.

x. Will support the building of sports centres in every local government area of the country.

xi. Will lay the foundation far our youth to begin to participate internationally in sports like gymnastics, cycling, fencing, swimming etc.

xii. Will encourage the promotion of our rich cultural heritage through annual cultural fiestas and participating in international cultural festivals.

xiii. Will promote annual exhibitions of arts, artefacts and crafts during which prizes are awarded.

xiv. Will ensure that cultural studies are introduced into the academic curriculum at all levels of education. This will keep alive our heritage in the consciousness of the youth.