The UNESCO Institute for African Culture and International Understanding (IACIU) has highlighted inadequate infrastructure and insufficient materials as significant obstacles to achieving higher sports performance standards in Africa.
To tackle this challenge, the institute has called for the integration of cultural sensitivity and technological innovations for sport development across Africa.
This, according to the IACIU, is a tailored approach to sports development in Africa.
Director of the institute, Prof. Peter Okebukola disclosed this during a workshop at the National Institute for Sports (NIS) in Lagos, with the theme “Empowering the Youth and Young Professionals with the Skills and Insights Necessary to Excel in Various Sports Leadership Capacities.”
During the workshop, the professor underscored the critical role of effective leadership in driving the comprehensive growth and development of sports throughout Africa.
Okebukola, however, stressed that the workshop aimed to equip attendees with essential leadership competencies vital for advancing the sports sector.
“There is a critical need for cultivating exemplary leadership among educators and students in the sports arena to drive comprehensive growth and development of sports throughout Africa.
“Robust leadership frameworks are a necessity to propel advancement in the field of sports.
“With this workshop we aim to equip attendees with essential leadership competencies vital for advancing the sports sector in Africa,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to prioritise the allocation of resources needed to bolster institutional capabilities in addressing these issues.
Each participant was awarded a certificate of participation, symbolising their dedication to advancing sports leadership and fostering development across the region.
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