The Ministry of Youths and Sports on Wednesday singed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with three companies to raise funds for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the World Cup.

Solomon Dalung, Minister of Youths and Sports, while signing the MoU in Abuja, said the move was a step in the right direction to ensure podium performance at the Commonwealth Games and World Cup.

He listed the companies to include, Apex-Krane International Construction, which would raise funds for Super Eagles ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russian.

Others were Aikmeme Nigeria, which would raise funds for Nigeria contingent to the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, while Timewealth Capital would generate revenue for the development of sports at the grassroots.

Dalung,who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Adesola Olusade, said 2018 was full of sporting activities, hence the need to source for fund to ensure that Nigeria’s participation was well deserved.

“Signing of this MoU is not an over night thing, we went through their proposals carefully with inputs from relevant agencies and our legal department.

“We cannot afford to delay the signing of the MoU since most of the activities involved in the partnership are for short time period because they are events specific.

“We are having this partnership because government is constraint with what it can do for sports.

“But we are fortunate to have good hearted individuals who believe in sports development and have done their best in supporting sports,’’ he said.

Dalung, however, called on sports loving Nigerians and multinationals to support sports to ensure that Nigeria get podium performance at these competitions.

Rsponding, Queen Uboh, Managing Director of  Apex-Krane International Construction, said the company was working to raise over N1.3 billion to ensure that Nigeria have glorious outing at the 2018 World Cup in Russian.

She said they would work with all Nigerians and every sports stakeholder to be able to raise the targeted fund.

Uboh assured the ministry that the partnership would bring good development to sports, particularly football in Nigeria.