The Director General Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) Professor Husaaini Doko Ibrahim was Tuesday honoured with the ‘first sport leadership award of excellence 2021,’ organised by Sports Hall of Fame Foundation of Nigeria in Abuja.
Director Industrial Extension Services RMRDC, Dr. Bola Olugbemi who represented the Director General, said the award is a wakeup call for other institutions, agencies, individuals and corporate organisations to follow precedence and support sporting activities.
“A workforce that isn’t fit definitely won’t be productive and this is one way in which we can begin to improve our productivity; encouraging fitness in our institutions by establishing sports club in your organisation, engage your staff to be involved in exercise or make it a policy that once a month all staff should engage in sport and sincerely, your productivity will also increase,” he said.
Ibrahim urged ministries, departments and agencies to encourage sporting activities within their institutions and the nation at large, adding that sportsmen should be recognised and celebrated for representing the nation and making Nigerians proud.
“We need to celebrate our own athletes, coaches that are performing for the nation within and outside the shores of this nation which in turn will help encourage them to do more and make us proud,” the RMRDC boss added.
Earlier, the President, Sports Hall of Fame Foundation of Nigeria, Mr. Nicholas Kwanta said sport centres in organisations are important, adding that without mental and official health no employee will carry out his duty accurately, saying: “We have heard of how a lot of people die due to lack of exercise. This is why one of the major requirements for employment, especially in advanced countries, they ask for medical fitness to avoid such crises.”
Kwanta further said the award is well deserved by the recipient for his dedication to sporting activities even amongst his staff adding that, other heads of organisations should emulate the footsteps of the DG to support sporting activities in order to encourage the sportsmen to do better.
