Man O’ War Pushes Sports as Tool for Youth Development
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
Nigeria’s frontline voluntary paramilitary organisation, Man O’ War, has reaffirmed its commitment to using sports as a strategic tool for youth development, discipline, physical fitness and national unity.
The National Commander of the organisation, Ademola Gbenga, stated this when the Editor of Sahel Sports Newspaper, Abdulgafar Oladimeji, paid a strategic partnership visit to the Man O’ War national headquarters in Abuja.
Gbenga, who was represented by MC A.R. Ikumapayi, said the organisation was ready to partner with relevant sports stakeholders to promote grassroots talent discovery and development through its structures across the country.
He said Man O’ War’s nationwide presence provides a strategic platform for identifying and nurturing promising young athletes, stressing that the initiative aligns with its vision of “Build the Youth, Build the Nation.”
“Man O’ War Nigeria is a youth-focused uniformed voluntary organisation with presence in all 36 states and the FCT, across tertiary institutions, secondary schools and communities,” he said.
“One of our core mandates is youth development, leadership training and positive engagement of young people. Sports is one of our strongest tools to achieve that. We believe sports is not just about competition; it is about discipline, teamwork, resilience and patriotism, values that Man O’ War stands for,” Ikumapayi added.
Oladimeji described Man O’ War as one of Nigeria’s longest-existing voluntary paramilitary organisations with an enviable history, urging the national command to further strengthen the use of sports to promote physical fitness and agility among its members and the wider youth population.
He stressed that regular sporting activities remained vital to maintaining physical readiness, building mental toughness and fostering teamwork and national cohesion.
He therefore called for stronger collaboration between Man O’ War and sports stakeholders to unlock Nigeria’s grassroots sporting potential.