By Aderonke Ojo
…. Chairman of NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko declares 6th OSOM Games Open in a Colorful Ceremony
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko has reassured Nigerian athletes of regular internal competitions as a key priority of the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigerian Sports Economy, (RHINSE) mandate of the Commission.
The Chairman stated this when he declared open the 6th edition of the One Service One medal (OSOM) games inside the mainbowl of the Moshood Abiola National stadium on Thursday in Abuja.
The Chairman emphasized the importance of organising such games which amongst other things serves as a veritable tool to foster unity and commaraderie among the security agencies.
“ It’s also a platform for discovering talented athletes who can represent national sports parameters.
“This dual opportunity allows paramilitary agencies to work together, promoting security and national betterment. The competition will enable them to identify and showcase their athletic talents
“ Given their service commitments, it might be challenging for them to participate in national sports festivals or other competitions outside their agencies. However, this platform provides them with the chance to demonstrate their skills,” he said .
He said that they recognise the role the security agencies played in the rich sporting history of our country by producing some of the country’s finest athletes who have done the country proud at various international competitions.
” And at the Sports Commission we acknowledge that the security agencies still has the potential to produce top class athletes for the country which is part of the reasons we are committed like never before to hosting this year’s OSOM games.
” Under the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria Sports Economy( RHINSE ), mandate given to us by President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Sports Commission is committed to ensuring that there is regular competitions to discover new talents and to keep our athletes actively busy.
” The OSOM Games is more than a competition. It is a building block in our broader vision to reform the Nigerian Sports Sector.
“ As I said earlier , under the RHINSE initiative, we are committed to turning Sports from a field of consumption into one of Production. That means placing greater focus on local competitions like these.
” I look forward to an exciting six days of competition and our eyes will be on some of the outstanding athletes that will distinguish themselves at the Games as we are currently building a sustainable pool of talents that will be ready to do the country proud at international competitions,” he said.
The Chairman also used the opportunity to assure the athletes that the Commission will soon embark on infrastructural revamping of the country’s sporting facilities and the Abuja National stadium will soon undergo a total face-lift especially with the Pitch.
The Chairman maintained that infrastructural development and Athlete’s growth go hand in hand and the Sports Commission is fully committed to making this work.
The OSOM Games brings together all Service Agencies, both Military and Para Military, to compete under a fair and competitive atmosphere and will run from the April 24 to April 30th, 2025.
The 12 participating agencies include the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Nigeria Army, Defence Intelligence Agency is likely more fitting here instead of Defense Security Service, (DIA or DSS could be two different agencies with DSS potentially meaning Department of State Services).
Others are , Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Federal Fire Service (FFS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).