NAPHER-SD Tasks Government, Administrators and Others on Education and Sports Policy.

The Nigerian Association’ for Physical, Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (NAPHER-SD), has charged government at all levels and administrators to see lifelong learning initiatives in Physical and Health Education, Recreation and Dance as a serious business by increasing funding, policy support and infrastructural development.

This was part of the fallout of the just concluded five-day 53rd Annual Conference and Workshop held at the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos.

The communique issued at the end of the exercise and signed by the Secretary General of NAPHER-SD, Dr. Franz Atare also tasked Health Education stakeholders to intensify advocacy and create programmes to promote anti-aging through regular physical activities, health awareness and wellness initiatives.

It implored sports administrators to organize recreation programmes for the elderly in our communities in order to improve their health status.
It called for Trauma-informed practices to be incorporated into education, recreation and sports programming to address the needs of individuals across all ages to prevent accidents that may lead to life trauma.

The communique also asked that safeguarding athletes must be made a national priority with institutions establishing frameworks for social, psychological and welfare support.

That global safeguarding policies should be domesticated and enforced to suit the Nigerian context, guaranteeing protection for athletes at all levels.

That Dance education and recreational programmes should be integrated into schools and communities as tools for physical fitness , cultural preservation and social cohesion.

That capacity building workshops should be expanded for teachers, coaches and practitioners to ensure professional excellence and innovation in service delivery.

That digital tools and technologies should be integrated into lifelong learning programmes to enhance accessibility, monitoring and effectiveness.
That sports commission’s at national and state levels are encouraged to design and implement inclusive sports and recreational policies that integrate safeguarding principles and promote lifelong learning.

Such policies should strengthen Grassroot development, ensure the protection and wellbeing of athletes and provide sustainable support systems that align with the broader goals of education and national development.

That NAPHER-SD will continue to spearhead advocacy, research and professional collaboration towards advancing lifelong learning through Physical, Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance.
The conference which was declared open by the chief hosts, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University, has Prof. R,A Moronfolu of LASU as the Keynote Speaker while Dr. Femi Abioye of the Nigeria Olympic Committee ( NOC ) was the facilitator.

Dr. Uchenna Dim, National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, was the Lead paper presenter.
She centred her discussion on “promoting lifelong learning through trauma prevention across all ages” and emphasised on preventive strategies across life stages to sustain learning and productivity while Prof Gabriel O. Akindoju , Dean faculty of Education, LASU was the host.

President of NAPHER-SD, Prof. Florence Adeyanju in her welcome address, thanked all the participants for making the conference a reality.
She gave special thanks to the chief hosts, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji- Bello, the VC of LASU and the local Organizing Committee chairman, Prot N..A , Sentonji for a job well done as we look forward for the 54th Annual Conference to be hosted by the Bayero University, Kano (BUK) in 2026.
Special thanks must also go to Prof. R .O. Okuneye , Director, Quality Assurance, LASU for playing a fatherly role in ensuring that the conference was not only successful but hitch free.