The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria SWAN Cross River State Chapter has paid a courtesy visit to the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ Cross River State Council to formally announce the inauguration of its new executive and the commencement of activities in the state.
Speaking during the visit, the SWAN delegation described the NUJ as its parent body and said the visit was necessary to officially inform the union that the association had been reconstituted after years of inactivity. The delegation was led by the Chairman of the SWAN Cross River Chapter, Comrade Mike Akpan. Other members of the executive include the Vice Chairman, Comrade Christian Njoku, the Secretary, a correspondent with Chronicle newspaper, the Treasurer, Comrade Tina Todo of The Guardian, the Financial Secretary, Malam Musa Kutama, and the Welfare Officer, Comrade James of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria FRCN.
Addressing the NUJ leadership, members of the delegation said the visit was imperative, stressing that as a professional body under the NUJ, it was important to first report to its parent organisation before embarking on major activities. They noted that SWAN in Cross River State had been dormant for over three years, a situation that raised concerns among stakeholders in the sports sector about the association’s continued existence in the state.
They explained that the new executive was inaugurated recently and currently has one vacant position, which they have been mandated by the national secretariat to fill before undertaking major programmes. According to them, plans are already underway to convene a congress within the month of January to complete the executive structure.
The delegation outlined a number of activities lined up by the association, including courtesy visits to key stakeholders in the sports sector across the state. These include the Commissioner for Sports and the Chairman of the Cross River State Sports Commission. They revealed that during a recent interaction with the Commissioner for Sports, the official expressed excitement at the return of SWAN to the state and welcomed plans for a formal visit. Similarly, the Chairman of the Sports Commission has also indicated readiness to receive the association once arrangements at his office are concluded.
According to SWAN, the planned engagements are aimed at reintroducing the association to stakeholders and reaffirming its mandate of promoting sports development through robust media coverage. The association stressed that sports and the media are inseparable, noting that effective media participation is critical to the growth, visibility and excitement of sports.
The delegation also disclosed plans to engage other stakeholders, including military and paramilitary agencies and sports departments, as part of efforts to strengthen collaboration and improve sports reportage in the state.
In addition, SWAN revealed that it has conceived a project to institute an award system to recognise individuals who have devoted their lives to sports development in Cross River State but may have been forgotten over time. The initiative, they said, aligns with the directive of the national body for state chapters to innovate and initiate impactful programmes. They noted that the national secretariat has endorsed the proposed award scheme and pledged its full support.
They recalled that SWAN marked its 60th anniversary last year in Abuja, where sports veterans from across the country were honoured, but lamented that Cross River State was not represented due to the absence of a constituted state chapter at the time. The new leadership said the proposed award scheme would help correct that gap and ensure deserving sports contributors from the state are duly recognised.
The delegation concluded by reiterating that the essence of the visit was to officially brief the NUJ leadership of their plans and activities, in keeping with professional ethics and institutional hierarchy, and to seek the continued support and guidance of the parent body as they move forward.
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