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AJIBADE OLUSESAN writes that Shehu Dikko’s role as Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) offers a chance for vital transformation in Nigerian sports with a focus on grassroots development, infrastructure upgrade, athlete welfare, and policies that enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness internationally.
President Bola Tinubu breathed new life into his vision for sports by dissolving the sports ministry and reinstating the National Sports Commission.
He appointed seasoned administrator Shehu Dikko, the former Chairman of the defunct League Management Company, as the Director-General. In his campaign manifesto, “Renewed Hope 2023,” President Tinubu outlined his vision for Nigerian sports, focusing on athlete training, funding, and promoting sports as a business and a means of national unity.
At the assumption of office, the President showed his commitment to reforming the sector by establishing the Sports Development Ministry as a separate entity from the Ministry of Youth Development. He appointed Senator John Enoh as the Sports Minister.
Dissatisfied with the performance of the Cross River-born politician, the President redeployed him and adopted the return of the NSC as the new vehicle to drive his vision for sports.
As Dikko assumes the role of Director General of the NSC, expectations are high that he will bring fresh energy and reform to Nigeria’s sports sector and stakeholders dissect key areas that should define his agenda.
Legal backing
For decades, the structure and management of sports have oscillated between the NSC and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, leading to instability that has hindered sustainable growth in the sector, said a former Vice President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Babs Ogunade.
The NSC was established in 1971 through Decree 34 as the principal agency responsible for overseeing, regulating, and organising sports activities in Nigeria. In 1975, the NSC was elevated to the level of a minister.
However, with the promulgation of Decree 7 in 1991, the NSC was restructured as a parastatal under the Ministry of Youth and Sport.
In 1995, the NSC was disbanded, transferring sports administration back to the Ministry. By December 2006, under President Obasanjo’s administration, the Federal Ministry of Sports and Social Development (FMSSD) was once again reverted to the National Sports Commission but this reinstatement, however, was short-lived, as the government of Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 scrapped the NSC.
Ogunade said legal backing for the body has become imperative as it would provide the necessary framework for a well-defined, consistent sports administration body, empowering the NSC to function effectively and independently of political changes. “Nigeria’s sports sector has faced numerous challenges, from funding gaps to lack of grassroots support.
An NSC backed by an act of parliament would not only ensure stable funding but the overall growth of the sector. But if the intention is not good enough, the NSC will also fail like the ministry,” he remarked. The bill to legalise the NSC has yet to see the light of day despite more than 15 years of legislative action on it.
The Nigerian Senate passed the bill in 2023, but President Buhari could not assent to it before he left office, and it had to be reintroduced in the new National Assembly. A former DG of the NSC, Patrick Ekeji, told our correspondent earlier that whoever occupies the topmost position of leadership must strive to pursue the enactment of the NSC into law for a lasting legacy.
“The NSC is a Special Purpose Vehicle through which sports growth will be guaranteed. Because you are going to have experts trained in the management of sports administering the sector for effective results.
“Football would not have achieved anything today if there was no law establishing the Nigeria Football Association as a parastatal of government back then. The National Institute for Sports is still standing today because it was established by law and the National Youth Service Corp would have been scrapped if not for it being backed up by an Act.”
Infrastructure
Investing in modern sports facilities is a foundational step towards cultivating a culture of sports in Nigeria and facility manager Ebi Egbe believes the government should allocate resources to build and maintain sports complexes, stadiums, training centres, and indoor facilities across the nation.
Major sporting facilities have been left in shambles as funding constraints cripple the sector; the adopt-a-facility initiative by former minister Sunday Dare’s administration was inadequate to address the infrastructural gap and Enoh’s tenure was a failure in that regard.
A study has revealed that t h e country would need about N10 billion yearly to adequately maintain federal government-owned stadia and other facilities whereas the budget for the whole of the sector is a tad less than the figure.
Dare had said the ministry would need a whopping N21 billion to renovate the National Stadium, Lagos alone, which will translate to a more than two-year budget for the ministry.
Egbe, the Chief Executive Officer of Monimichelle Sports Facility Group, opined that the country might not optimise the potential of its athletes if the facilities are not well maintained. “It is a shame that our stadiums are still in bad shape,” he said.
School sports
Revamping of school and grassroots sports is cardinal to Tinubu’s manifesto and it is expected that Dikko will not deviate from the master plan.
Identifying and nurturing young talent is essential for the long-term development of sports; establishing grassroots programmes in schools and communities will provide children with early exposure to various sports, helping them discover their interests and aptitudes.
Nigeria immensely benefited from robust school sports initiatives but the template has been long abandoned, essentially due to the commercialisation of the education sector.
Segun Boyejo, Physical Education expert and Director of Sports at Santos International School said school sports must be revamped with programmes that should be accessible, inclusive, and well-structured, ensuring that every child has an opportunity to participate and excel.
“Integrating sports into the educational curriculum can have a transformative impact on youth development. Physical education classes should be comprehensive and engaging, focusing not only on physical fitness but also on the principles of teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship.
I am a product of such a robust initiative when it formed part of our national life. Schools, through incentives from the government, can also offer scholarships and incentives to talented athletes, providing them with the means to balance academics and sports,” he added.
Sports federations autonomy
Another key issue is the independence of sports federations, which still rely heavily on government funding instead of becoming self-sustaining.
In many countries, sports are viewed as an industry driven by the private sector. As Nigeria struggles with budgetary demands, reducing government expenditure is essential, and sports could play a significant role.
Past sports ministers have failed to advocate for this independence. Dikko must support federations in forming partnerships and attracting private sponsorships.
While businesses have raised concerns about the lack of transparency in fund usage, their willingness to sponsor specific sports demonstrates strong private sector interest, provided accountability is ensured.
The previous minister’s policies only deepened reliance on government funding, even requiring private sponsorship funds to be deposited into the ministry’s account first. For federations to become self-reliant, policies must encourage private sector involvement and ensure transparency and accountability.
Welfare
Poor welfare of the athletes has not only slowed down the growth of the sector but caused the country international embarrassment, and Ekeji said the way to forestall such a situation is to create a concrete reward system for athletes that will see prize monies being captured in the national budget.
He said athletes were supposed to be motivated for enhanced performances and that there should be a national policy regarding rewards for athletes who have performed well in major competitions like the Olympics, African Games, and other international championships.
He argued that with a policy like that in place, athletes would not need to be worried about what they will get after doing well, as they know their pay has been assured by the provision of the law. “One of the fundamental things that we need to do is our reward system for athletes who have distinguished themselves representing the country in major tournaments.
If you are rewarding a gold medalist with N1 million, for instance, let it be captured in the budget not only when you are preparing for the Olympics or the All Africa Games, but include it in the yearly budget which is backed by law, then the athletes will not need to be worried about whether they are going to get paid or not because the money is there, it is backed up by the law, and they are going to be greatly motivated,” he said.
Football masterplan
Dare’s tenure witnessed the adoption of the 10-Year Football Master Plan and National Sports Industry Policy (NSIP), which pushed sports from mere recreation to a business model, and Dikko can effect its implementation.
The Master Plan has the capacity to catapult football to greatness in Nigeria, including the domestic league, if well implemented as articulated.
NSIP is also a framework to move sports to the next level by focusing on increased sports infrastructure, robust incentives, and private-sector investment.
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