SPORT AND PSYCHOMOTRICITY AS CATALYSTS FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: ADVANCING SOCIAL INCLUSION, HEALTH PROMOTION, AND HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Sport has increasingly been recognized as a strategic instrument for achieving sustainable development through its contributions to social inclusion, health promotion, and human capital development. However, empirical evidence on the combined role of sport and psychomotricity in fostering sustainable community development remains limited, particularly in developing countries such as Nigeria. This study investigated the contributions of sport and psychomotricity to sustainable community development in Rivers State, Nigeria, with emphasis on their influence on social inclusion, health promotion, human capital development, and the mediating role of psychomotor competence. A mixed-methods cross-sectional research design was adopted. Data were collected from 348 respondents (representing an 87% response rate) selected through a multistage sampling technique using structured questionnaires, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. The findings revealed that sport participation and psychomotor competence significantly contributed to sustainable community development through social inclusion, health promotion, and human capital development (R² = 0.659, F = 111.28, p < .001). The SEM results further demonstrated that psychomotor competence significantly mediated the relationship between community sport participation and sustainable community development (β = 0.251, p = .001), indicating that improvements in coordination, balance, body awareness, agility, and motor competence strengthened the developmental impact of community sport. Qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results by highlighting the roles of community sport in promoting peace, social cohesion, healthy lifestyles, leadership development, youth empowerment, and community resilience, while identifying inadequate infrastructure, insufficient government support, and limited integration of psychomotor programmes as major barriers. The study concludes that integrating structured psychomotor education into community sport programmes can significantly enhance sustainable community development. It recommends increased investment in community sport infrastructure, inclusive sport policies, and multi-sectoral partnerships to strengthen sport-for-development initiatives and accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Rivers State and similar developing contexts.