The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has endorsed President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s proposal that Abuja bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games following the city’s loss to Glasgow of the 2014 Games. A Nigerian website reports the decision was made at the NOC Annual General Meeting.
NOC President, Engineer Habu Ahmed Gumel said President Yar’Adjua said, “the president felt that valuable experiences were garnered in the run up to the failed Abuja 2014 Commonwealth Games bid, following the statement by the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Mr. Mike Fennel stating that Nigeria had an impressive bid when he visited Nigeria last week to debrief the Abuja bid committee”.
Gumel said, “the CGF pointed out our area of strength and weaknesses. And he said the 33 per cent vote scored in our first attempt is an indication that we can win if we bid again. And when the CGF recommended to us to bid for the 2018, President Yar’Adua graciously accepted it and directed the Chairman of National Sports Commission and Minister of Sports, Abdulrahman Hassan Gimba, to write a memo to the Federal Executive Council about the intention of Nigeria to bid for the 2018 Games”.
