The bill seeking the establishment of the Federal Sports University of Nigeria, Nkalagu, Ebonyi State, scaled second reading in Senate on Wednesday.
The bill was sponsored by Senator Obinna Ogba (PDP, Ebonyi Central).
Ogba said the establishment of such a university would develop Nigerian youths in various sporting endeavours.
He said: “The university would offer professional and academic programmes leading to the award of diploma, first degrees, Post-Graduate research, and higher degrees with an emphasis on planning, adaptive, technical, maintenance, development and productive skills in engineering, and allied professional disciplines relating to sports resources.”
He added that the institution would, among others, establish appropriate relationships with other national institutions involved in training, research, and development of technologies in the sports sector.
He stressed that the university would also identify the problems and needs of sports in Nigeria with a view to finding solutions to them.
In his contributions, the Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, said the establishment of the institution would contribute immensely to Nigeria’s earnings from sports.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, later sent the bill to the Committee on Sports for consideration.
The committee is expected to present its report to the Senate in four weeks.