By Abraham Olayinka
Renowned socio-political commentator, and social media influencer, Reno Omokri nicknamed Buhari Tormentor (Tableshaker) has raised concerns over the adverse effects of sports betting on Nigerian youth and urging President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action by imposing a nationwide ban on this industry.
In a recent statement, Omokri highlighted the detrimental impact of sports betting on the country’s youth population, emphasizing its contribution to a cycle of financial irresponsibility and addiction. He underscored the need for urgent measures to curb the proliferation of this activity, which has permeated various segments of Nigerian society.
According to his statement, “Every year, Nigerians spend three times the entire Zambian GDP gambling. Fact-check me. Our main challenge is not poverty but the misapplication of wealth. Gambling and pornography are the top two activities online in Nigeria. We are destroying our youth by letting them have unregulated access to gambling and pornography”.
“You can just imagine how much better our country would be if we channel the money, energy and time we spend on these vices on something productive”.
“China regulates what its citizens can do or not do online. It is high time we regulate this destructive habit, or our future will be bleaker than it is. If we cannot ban online gambling, sports betting and pornography, there should at least be safeguards. It should not be accessible to those under eighteen. Then the operators must pledge to invest a percentage of their earnings in education for safe gambling (gambling is not even safe) and porn addiction programs”.
“If steps are not taken, and this cancer continues to spread, Nigeria will certainly not meet her developmental goals. Worse, we will lose out to smaller African nations, like Kenya, who have taken steps to limit the effects of these scourges on their population”, he added.