Paris 2024: Pres. Tinubu has approved full budget for Olympics, says Sports Minister Enoh

The Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Enoh, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has fully approved the Olympics budget, charging Nigerian athletes to achieve podium performances at the forthcoming 2024 Games in Paris, France.

He made the remarks on Monday in Abuja, during the official handover and farewell ceremony of the Team Nigeria contingent to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Enoh charged the contingent to strive for podium performance at the Games, emphasizing the importance of hard work and dedication.

He announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fully approved the budget for the Games, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to excellence in sports.

He, therefore, tasked members of Team Nigeria to make the President and the entire country proud in Paris.

He said: “The President has approved the entire budget for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, so it is up to us to try to reciprocate the goodwill of the President and give him reasons to continue to do more.

“It is not the first time he has done this. In December, he did the same for our male and female football teams by paying backlogs of salaries. He has done the same for our contingent going to the Olympics and Paralympics.”

Enoh also highlighted the importance of the foreign training tours for different sports, aimed at ensuring the physical, technical, and tactical readiness of the athletes for the Games.

“Given the effort of both the government and the ministry, as well as well-meaning agencies, it is important that the athletes involved in this national call of duty regard themselves as performing an ambassadorial function as ambassadors of Nigeria.

“We expect discipline, honesty, commitment, and responsibility to perform creditably well for podium placements.

“Our expectations are high, and given my interactions with our athletes, I have no doubt that these expectations will be met,” he added.

The event was attended by the Permanent Secretary, the Federal Ministry of Sports Development, Atinuke Watti, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Abu Gumel, President of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, Chief de Mission of the France Embassy in Nigeria, and sports federations presidents, among others.

The official unveiling of Team Nigeria’s kits for Paris was another highlight of the ceremony.