By Jude Opara, Abuja
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) says it has concluded arrangements to engage more coaches and Physical Education teachers in primary and secondary schools to help fish out the young talents.

Speaking at the weekend in Abuja while receiving the document on sports development at the grassroots titled; Let’s Return Sports To Schools Project, presented by the Optimal Brain and Skills Services Consult, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Alhaji Dikko Suleiman who was represented by Dr. Yakubu Gambo assured that his organization will begin to focus more attention on the recruitment of more coaches for schools to improve on the sporting activities of the students.

“We really acknowledge the shortage of Physical Education teachers in schools and I want to assure you that most of the coaches would be engaged even on contract basis to help revive sports in schools. We are also discussing a way of having sporting centres at the zones to help bring back sports to the schools.”

Gambo added that already the Executive Secretary of UBEC has directed that all the State Universal Basic Education Commissions (SUBEC) must include sports in their curriculum adding that they have equally compiled with a directive to establish sports desks in their offices.

Earlier in his presentation, the executive director of Optimal Consult, Dr. Godfrey Ogu said the importance of sports cannot be overemphasized hence no effort should be spared to revive it.

He noted that Nigeria’s achievements in sports in the 70s and 80s were due largely to the virile school sports that was operational at the time.