Reno Omokri, a prominent sociopolitical activist, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently ban all forms of sports betting in Nigeria, citing its detrimental impact on the country’s economy and youth.
In a social media post, Omokri emphasized the need for President Tinubu to take decisive action to improve the economic conditions of Nigerians and strengthen the value of the Naira.
He urged the president to authorize the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ban sports betting applications from GSM Internet Service Providers’ app stores and revoke the licenses of physical sports betting operators across the country.
According to Omokri, the prevalence of gambling in Nigeria has reached epidemic levels, with an estimated $1 billion spent on gambling daily, as reported by the National Lottery Trust Fund.
He highlighted that the average Nigerian spends $15 daily on sports betting and other forms of gambling, resulting in a significant outflow of funds from the country’s economy to other nations.
Omokri raised concerns about the negative impact of gambling on Nigerian youths, linking it to an increase in petty crime as young people seek funds to sustain their gambling habits.
He emphasized the responsibility of President Tinubu, as a prominent figure in Nigerian politics and a seasoned accountant, to address the issue, which he described as a threat to national security.
Omokri’s call for a ban on sports betting aligns with his view that such a measure would not only benefit the country’s economy but also protect the youth from the adverse effects of excessive gambling.
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