Nigeria Minister of Sports and Youth Development Mr Sunday Dare has disclosed that a COVID-19 Sports code is set to be released.
All football activities including the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), the second division league and Women’s Premier League was suspended in March due to the pandemic coronavirus.
Also with few days to the kick off of the 2020 National Sports Festival in Edo State, it was called off after a meeting by the Sports Minister and the President, Muhamadu Buhari.
With football and other sports activities gradually returning in some parts of Africa and the other continents, there are no date yet for sporting events to restart in Nigeria.
However, the Sports Minister in a message on Thursday assured that there plans underway to get things back on track.
He said, “Global sports is reviewing its plans, calendar and related activities in view of the pandemic.
“Here in Nigeria we are doing the same thing and working closely with the Covid-19 PTF, Health Ministry and NCDC.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has developed a COVID-19 Sports Code to be released soon.
“World Athletics has developed a COVID-19 Sports Code, EPL, IOC and other sporting regimes- governments, private, continental and international are developing such strict Covid-19 Sports Codes.
“Nigeria is not left out. The health of our athletes will always come first.
“In Nigeria, Sports was at the forefront of creating the needed awareness for this pandemic and our sector must not also shy away from playing a leading role in restarting our sporting life as a nation guided strictly by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.”
He also noted he has received a report on the suspended National Sports Festival by the National Sports Council.
“The Committee on the National Sports Festival 2020 set up by the National Council on Sports a month ago today submitted its report.
“We will study the report in its entirety carefully. The Ministry will be properly guided on re-starting any sporting activity with COVId-19 in view.”
Nigeria on Thursday recorded 745 new cases of COVID-19 bringing the total to 18,480 confirmed cases with 6,309 discharged while 475 deaths have been recorded since the outbreak of the virus in March.