Anambra State is moving to place sports and youth development at the centre of local government administration, with the newly sworn-in Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Patrick Agha Mba, unveiling a grassroots-first reform plan designed to reshape how talent is found, supported and grown.
New commissioner sworn in for second-term administration
Mba, who previously served as Commissioner for Youth Empowerment during Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s first term, is one of the cabinet members retained for the governor’s second term. He was sworn in at Awka on Monday alongside other commissioners and the heads of agencies.
Bottom-up sports and youth development strategy
After the inauguration, Mba said the state government intends to build a bottom-up sports framework that prioritises talent discovery, youth empowerment and active community involvement. He argued that the administration wants sports to evolve from being purely recreational into a key driver within Anambra’s wider creative and economic landscape.
- The plan focuses on identifying sporting talent at the grassroots level and supporting young people through structured development pathways.
- Sports is expected to become more than leisure, positioning it as a meaningful contributor to the state’s creative and economic ecosystem.
- Local communities are intended to play an active role in both discovering and developing talent.
Legislation and decentralisation to institutionalise participation
Mba explained that the ministry will pursue legislation aimed at formally embedding sports and youth development within council administration across the state. He said decentralisation would make it easier to spot promising young athletes earlier, while also ensuring they receive mentoring and nurturing close to where they live.
“We are determined to mainstream sports as a business and a viable part of the creative economy,” Mba said. “Our target is to institutionalise sports development at the local government level so that every community becomes actively involved in discovering and developing talents.”
Partnerships to strengthen infrastructure and sustain growth
To support the policy direction, the commissioner added that the state government will collaborate with local councils and private investors. The goal is to improve sports infrastructure and help establish a sustainable sports ecosystem, aligned with Governor Soludo’s broader human capital development agenda.
- Local councils and private investors are expected to be key partners in strengthening sports infrastructure.
- The approach is geared toward building a sports ecosystem that can sustain development over time.
- The programme is presented as part of the wider human capital agenda being pursued in Anambra.
