TheCable

Nigeria has made a proposal to host the 2022 Youth Olympic Games in Abuja.

Members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were treated to a video presentation of Nigeria’s proposal on Sunday.

Solomon Dalung, minister of youth and sports, assured the visiting IOC members that Abuja will be ready to host the games if Nigeria gets the nod.

He commended the IOC for considering an African host for the event.

“I want to commend the IOC for developing a mechanism for Africa to be taken along through the changes introduced in the organization of the Youth Olympics,” Dalung said.

“I want to assure you that the capacity of the country to deliver is not in doubt.

“We will ensure that we package a brand of the Youth Games which after 2022, will set an agenda for the IOC to emulate.

“Abuja is ready to host because we have hosted international competitions in the past.

“Moreover, the IOC has emphasized that countries seeking to host the games should not build new structures but improve on their existing ones or make use of temporary facilities which will be dismantled after the games.

“We have the organizational capacity, the experience and the technical know-how to host.

“Abuja as a city has most of the requirements as enumerated to us by the IOC in a video presentation.

“We hope that at the end of the day, Nigeria will be chosen to host the 2022 Games for Africa.”