Recreation critical to growing Nigeria’s productive population – Experts

For Nigeria to grow its productive population there is a need to improve the health and well-being of individuals as this will contribute to the nation’s economic growth, experts have said.

Speaking at the public lecture event organised by Clubsworld, an online media for social and sporting clubs in Nigeria, Tajudeen Akande, president of Business Club Ikeja, said recreation has become an essential way in improving the health and well-being of people.

Akande, who spoke on the theme: ‘How Recreation Clubs Can Contribute to the Economy,’ listed the factors of economic growth that the clubs impact to include good policies, human capital, investments and production, public-private partnership, and political stability.

He said social clubs have helped in promoting inter-ethnic and interracial understanding.

Akande, who is also the immediate past president of Lagos Country Club, said that social clubs’ members, through their various businesses, contribute to the national economy.

He said one of the objectives of the social clubs is the social interaction of members which enhances their well-being and longevity.

“Apart from the opportunity to build new friendships, and explore personal interests, members of social clubs are able to influence policy and appointments because of their direct access to decision-makers,” he said.

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Akande further said that the infrastructure provided by social clubs enables members to exercise in order to become physically fit and healthier in order to contribute to production in terms of the availability of labour.

“Also, the profile of our membership is such that they have direct access to decision-makers and through that, they are able to influence policies, they are also able to influence appointments. These are some of the ways that social clubs contribute to the economy.

“Their various businesses contribute to the economy and we are saying the membership of these recreation clubs, because of the calibre of members and their business networks, the contribution to the national economy in terms of GDP is massive,” Akande said.

Sanya Onayoade, editor-in-chief of Clubsworld.net, said the theme of the public lecture was influenced by the current economic challenges being faced by the country and the need for recreation clubs to play a vital role in building the economy.

“Members of the clubs are the elites, captains of industry, and businessmen who are doing well in their fields and whose ideas are needed for policymakers and those handling the Nigerian economy,” Onayoade said.

According to him, recreation clubs in Nigeria are populated by the elite, captains of industry, renowned economists, and many professionals who have knowledge about economic indices for growth, and this platform is aimed at exploiting that avenue.

He said that clubsworld.net is a one-stop shop networking platform for the recreation community in Nigeria.

Past and current presidents of recreation clubs and captains of industry attended the unveiling of the online media and the public lecture. They include Funmi Bamkole, president of Lagos Country Club; Ademola Mumuney, chairman of Ikoyi Club; Ayodeji Randle, president of Ikeja Club, and Kehinde Shitta, former president of Island Club.