Senator John Owan Enoh: the man with the sporting blank canvass and a brush

John O. Enoh, who? That was the reaction of many stakeholders in Nigerian sports during the course of the working week that ended on the 18th of August 2023.

That was the week the Nigerian president, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu unveiled the portfolios of federal cabinet members. The men and women that will implement the Renewed Hope agenda of the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in all sectors of the economy. Senator John O. Enoh was named the sports minister.

First and foremost, mention must be made of the bold decision of Mr. President to unbundle the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. This author and many sports lovers in Nigeria had advocated the separation of the sports ministry from that of youth. This present government listened to our yearnings and did just that. Sport is a serious business and cannot continue to be bugged down in Nigeria by the youth component which is largely socio-welfarist. For instance, why should the sports minister be involved with the operations of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)? That was the situation hitherto. As a standalone ministry, Nigerian sport can BREATHE.

Back to Senator John O. Enoh. The new minister in his ministerial profile described himself as a ‘Nigerian politician, teacher, farmer and philanthropist’. As a result, some commentators mainly on social media lamented the fact that Senator Enoh had no sporting background and was such a misfit for the new sports ministry. It does not matter to those commentators that the distinguished senator was a lecturer at the University of Calabar for seven years, in addition to his post-graduate and Master of Business Administration degrees from Howard and Harvard universities in the United States of America (USA).

This writer admittedly in the past had canvassed for a ‘technical’ person (retired coach, athlete or sport scholar) to administer Nigerian sports at the highest level. However, having spent the past five years researching Nigerian sports, and its numerous opportunities and challenges at PhD level, it became crystal clear that what Nigerian sports need is an astute administrator and not necessarily a ‘technical’ person.

We all know the problems and potential of the Nigerian sporting ecosystem. What we desire is someone that can provide strategic solutions and be bold enough to take tough decisions. We need someone that is not tied to the apron of the sporting ‘cabal’ in Nigeria. We need someone that will not interfere beyond oversight in the affairs of the sports federations. We need someone that will prioritize grassroots sports development, while at the same time, astute enough to lead the ‘sports as business’ policy of the federal government of Nigeria.

We need someone that realises that developing athletes from grassroots to elite performers is a lifetime endeavour that requires nurturing, and grooming. We need someone that is able to envision the massive economic prospects inherent in developing the sports sector and is also eager to harness them for the good of the nation.

We need someone that will lead the renaissance, and engage the private sector as partners in progress while strengthening Nigerian sporting institutions. We need someone that will engage in the global politics of sports. We need someone capable of generating employment and contributing to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the nation through sports.

Can Senator John Enoh deliver on all these? Time will tell. However, from his background as a teacher and a farmer, he definitely has transferable skills and experience, that if deployed for his current assignment, will stand him in good stead.

A farmer, just like a teacher, is patient and strategic. Crops need time to germinate, groomed and tendered before harvest. Not too dissimilar from the sports sector. Investments in sporting talents and infrastructure are never short-term. Consistency and being focused are key elements that a farmer must necessarily have in abundance. Senator Enoh will do well in transferring those virtues to his new office.

In concluding this short piece, the new sports minister and his team must spread their net as wide as possible for collaborators and partners. The Nigerian diaspora is a veritable source. I am not merely referring to photo opportunities with athletes of Nigerian origin that consciously decided to represent other countries (such as Anthony Joshua, Bukayo Saka or David Alaba). No. I am referring to Nigerian athletes that are still adorning Nigerian colours in the diaspora.

Nigerian sports scholars and administrators that are committed to sports development in Nigeria but are living abroad. Nigerian sports investors in the diaspora. These are valuable human resources and veritable sources of economic prowess, that must be deliberately harnessed.

Dear Senator John Enoh, Mr. President has given you a blank canvass and a brush by way of the headship of a standalone sports ministry. Paint yourself into history so that in four years, it will no longer be John Enoh, who? But John Enoh, the most resourceful sports administrator Nigeria ever had.

Bob Olukoya PhD (Sports Business) writes from London.

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