NAN Helmsman, Ali M Ali Honoured with NASTOCE Award, Pledges Support for NISPRISPORT 2026 Training Program

By Ado Salisu

The National President of Ringo Sport Club Nigeria (RSCN), Malam Ahmed Mohammed Sule, has honoured Alhaji Ali Muhammad Ali, Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), with the conferment of the prestigious National Sports Tourism Conference and Exhibition (NASTOCE) 2026 Meritorious Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to media infrastructure upgrade and the promotion of sports tourism in Nigeria.

During the award ceremony which took place at the NAN Headquarters in Abuja, Malam Ahmed lauded Alhaji Ali’s unwavering commitment to excellence and collaboration, describing his efforts as instrumental in bridging the gap between media, sports and tourism sectors, noting further that under Alhaji Ali’s watch, NAN has demonstrated consistency in specialized reporting on key sectors, effectively projecting Nigeria’s sports tourism potential through digital storytelling and strategic media coverage.

He said that honouring the NAN helmsman is a show of recognition and appreciation by the Club for his strategic leadership styles in repositioning the agency as Africa’s largest news content provider and leveraging its platform to amplify Nigeria’s sports tourism potential on the global stage, which the Ringo Sport Club benefitted immensely during its NASTOCE 2026 program from the extensive media coverage of the agency.

Malam Ahmed noted further that the Managing Director’s leadership has significantly strengthened the narrative around sports tourism as a pillar of modern economy and national development, adding that his dedication to media upgrade and promotion of the synergy between sports and tourism aligns perfectly with the objectives of NASTOCE in unlocking the socio-economic potential at the intersection of these sectors.

The National President of the Ringo Sport Club then solicited for the support of the agency in the coverage and publicity of its forthcoming Nigerian Service Personnel Ringo Sport Training Program (NISPRISPORT) 2026, a one-week intensive training program aimed at impacting on the personnel the skills to play the ringo sport and be able to enjoy the sport as a leisure game and to participate in future local, national and global competitions and tournaments.

Responding to the honour, Alhaji Ali expressed his profound gratitude to the Ringo Sport Club for the recognition, describing the award as a motivation to intensify efforts in promoting sports tourism across Nigeria, noting that he is deeply honoured by this recognition and that the News Agency of Nigeria remains committed to projecting Nigeria’s sports tourism potential through effective storytelling and digital media strategies. “Sports tourism has evolved beyond medals and trophies to become a major driver of culture, commerce and destination branding globally, and NAN will continue to amplify this narrative,” he added.

He further pledged to sustain the momentum on sports tourism promotion and announced the agency’s full support for the Ringo Sport Club’s forthcoming training programme for Nigerian Service Personnel. He assured the club of comprehensive media coverage for the training initiative, which is scheduled to take place from August 3 to 7, 2026, in Abuja. “We shall ensure that the training programme receives the visibility it deserves, and we will continue to support the Ringo Sport Club in its commendable efforts to develop sports tourism in Nigeria,” Alhaji Ali affirmed.

The NASTOCE 2026 Meritorious Award is part of the Ringo Sport Club’s initiative to recognise outstanding stakeholders driving the growth of sports tourism in Nigeria. The maiden edition of the National Sports Tourism Conference and Exhibition (NASTOCE), which held in May 2026, was themed “Leveraging the Intersection of Multi-Sectoral MDAs to Promote Sports Tourism in Nigeria” and is now instituted as an annual event.