President Mohammad Buhari has directed the immediate release of N2.9 billion to the National Sports Commission (NSC) for the training and participation of Nigerian athletes in three major championships, which include the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo, the 2015 Commonwealth Games in Samoa and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.

, at a meeting between the NSC and presidents of all the sports federations in Abuja yesterday disclosed that the Presidency approved the money as requested by the Commission with a strong clause that a thorough audit of the teams’ participation at the various games must be carried out at the end to justify the use of the money.

Yakmut, who said the immediate approval and release of the money by the Presidency was unprecedented, assured that the Commission would ensure judicious use, adding that it would disburse it to the federations according to their categories, needs and demands.

The NSC boss categorised the federations according to their medal potential, saying that those in the A list would get priority attention. But he also added that the Commission would support all the federations to excel at the various games.

Yakmut disclosed that the Commission did not rely entirely on the Federal Government’s grant to prepare for the games, adding that it has already entered into a partnership with Max Air for the airlifting of Team Nigeria to the All Africa Games.

Yakmut said: “We requested for the released amount after having technically, professionally and realistically assessed the 2015 budget and came down from N6.7 billion to N2.9 billion and in his magnanimity and love for sports, the President approved that amount 100 per cent as requested.

The category A federations are athletics, football, basketball, table tennis, boxing, weightlifting, wrestling and taekwondo. The disbursement of the money will go according to the needs and demands of the federations and they will all be subjected to thorough technical scrutiny.”

We are boasting here that we may likely return some fund to the Federal Government if necessary because the NSC has plans to move with the principles of the current government and that is why we made sure that for the first time, the total amount is announced before the federations’ presidents.”