By Victor Okoye
Abuja, March 4, 2025 (NAN) Ishaku Bamaiyi, the President/CEO, Automobile and Touring Club of Nigeria (ATCN), says the body is set to promote grassroots development of the sport through the organisation of the Festival of Motorsport.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ATCN was registered in June 2009, with aims and objectives to campaign for road safety, create awareness of environmental matters, health services, and motorsport development.
The ATCN is the sole representative of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Fédération Internationale de Motorcyclisme (FIM), and Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) for all their operations in Nigeria.
The ATCN have been affiliated with the FIA since December 2012 and became the FIA Sporting Power Holder in December 2018.
Additionally, the ATCN became an affiliate of FIVA in September 2023 and of FIM in December 2023.
Bamaiyi told newsmen during the signing ceremony of the ATCN Festival of Motorsport 2025 that the event which is scheduled to take place next month heralds a new era for motorsport development in Nigeria.
He said as part of the ATCN’s innovation to develop motorsport in Nigeria, the body have had the FIA delegate the Sporting Power to Motorsport Nigeria Ltd.
“Motorsport Nigeria Ltd will enter this agreement today with Alhaji Bashir Ibrahim as the Commercial Rights Holder/Promoter.
“Motorsport Nigeria Ltd will like to inform potential participants in any discipline, whether as competitors or otherwise, that they must be licensed.
“All competitors, without exception, must participate in our training programs, either physically or online. We are working towards completing and launching our app,” he said.
He explained that the Festival of Motorsport is a multi-disciplinary event that provides opportunities for Nigerians to showcase their various talents.
He said some of opportunities for Nigerians include as competitors, officials, marshals, motorsport marketers, commentators, photographers, videographers, and engineers, among others.
“Participating in this event will equip competitors with the right skills and opportunities to engage in international championships.
“Potential disciplines for development in Nigeria, include: Karting Sprint for Juniors, Karting Sprint for Seniors, Karting Slalom, Karting Endurance (4-hour race), Drifting, Auto Slalom, Cross Car and Digital Motorsport,” he said.
The ATCN president said that the Festival of Motorsport would plan programs for ages 4 to 17 to engage young participants, aligning with the goals of the National Sports Commission’s Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko.
He stressed that the Festival of Motorsport supports the visions and missions of ATCN and NSC.
“In past years, we have trained competitors and organized events to encourage development without financial commitment from participants.
“Today, marks a significant day for motorsport development in Nigeria, especially grassroots development through the Festival of Motorsport.
“This signing ceremony heralds a new era for motorsport development in Nigeria, creating an industry that will provide statistical improvements and add economic value for promoters, competitors, and the Nigerian economy at large.
“We will soon see the results of our collective efforts,” he said.
He noted that to support motorsport development in Nigeria, the FIA appointed Emirates Motorsport Organization (EMSO) as our Regional Training Provider (RTP) to train Nigerians.
He said FIA also approved a training program themed “Young Driver Programme for Motorsport Development,” with Phase 1 implemented in October 2022 and Phase 2 in April 2023.
“Another milestone was implementing the FIA Girls on Track initiative, with ATCN acting as the lead between Nigeria and Ethiopia (Ethiopian Motorsport Association).
“FIA and FIM are individual-based championships; however, in 2019, the FIA World Motorsport Council approved the FIA Motorsport Games.
“This championship allows competitors to represent their countries for medals across various disciplines. The FIM initiated the FIM Intercontinental Games, where the country winning the most medals is crowned champion.
“In this context, Nigeria participated in the FIA Motorsport Games in 2022 in France and will compete in 2024 in Spain, finishing in the quarter-finals in GT and the semi-finals in F4 in the esports categories.
“Our sole competitor in the senior Karting Sprint showed significant improvement,” he said.(NAN)
