NSC prime officers meet federations’ President, reel out Tinubu’s new sports activities mandate
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has unveiled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s new mandate geared toward reworking Nigerian sports activities right into a sustainable sports activities financial system.
The detailed vision-unveiling was led by the management of the NSC throughout a strategic assembly with Presidents and Secretaries of assorted Sports Federations, on Tuesday, in Abuja.
The assembly marked the primary official engagement between the NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, with federation leaders following institutional modifications in Nigeria’s sports activities sector.
Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko emphasised the shared imaginative and prescient between the NSC and sports activities federations, stressing the significance of partnership in driving development and sustainability in Nigerian sports activities.
“We believe we are all partners with the various Sports Federations, working together for the same goal — to reposition Nigerian sports,” Dikko acknowledged.
“We came here with a clear mandate from Mr. President to get sports working again by building a sustainable sports economy. We can’t just measure our sports by participation in tournaments but by its contributions to the entire economy, and that is the new mandate and direction,” he added.
To obtain this imaginative and prescient, Dikko outlined a three-pillar technique for Nigerian sports activities: Reset, Refocus, and Relaunch.
“Our thinking is that competitions are basically consumption, while development is production. At the end of the day, we want the success of all of us to be measured by the development we put on the ground to get the sports growing and create value. Then we can move to the next level of competitions,” he defined.
He additional revealed ongoing plans to ascertain a National Sports Development Fund and a National Sports Infrastructure Board by legislative acts. These constructions are anticipated to offer a strong monetary and infrastructural basis to help sports activities improvement throughout the nation.
Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade echoed the Chairman’s name for strategic reforms, emphasizing the NSC’s dedication to athlete improvement and governance restructuring.
“One thing we have also worked on is getting a consultant to come work with the Commission. Mr Bambo Akani, Founder & CEO of Making of Champions will be our Consultant, working closely with the Commission to develop a relationship with the elite athletes across all the Sports through the Elite Development and Podium Board,” Olopade revealed.
He introduced plans to ascertain a coaching fund for distinctive athletes, which can start in February 2025. The fund will guarantee athletes obtain monetary help for coaching effectively forward of main competitions.
“Once we do that, we will start paying their training funds long before a major event. The days of athletes getting training grants at competition venues are gone,” Olopade acknowledged.
He additionally emphasised the NSC’s efforts to enhance governance inside Sports Federations by introducing a company governance construction and appointing marketing-driven Chief Operating Officers (COOs). He applauded the Nigeria Rugby Federation for main this effort with the appointment of Babatunde Adeluola as its COO.
Olopade additional revealed that the NSC is making vital strides in tapping into the profitable eSports trade, which is valued at hundreds of thousands of {dollars} globally.
“We are also working on tapping into the millions of dollars in the eSports industry, and very soon, the Federation of eSports will be well-structured to join the league of Nigerian sports federations,” Olopade disclosed.
On the a part of the sports activities federations, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Engr. Musa Kida, counseled the NSC’s recent strategy to sports activities improvement.
“Having listened to the remarks of both the NSC Chairman and the DG, there is a breath of fresh air. As Federation Presidents, we are already seeing solutions coming for the country’s sports,” Kida acknowledged.
With a renewed deal with collaboration, sustainability, and financial improvement, the NSC is decided to redefine Nigeria’s sports activities sector, shifting from mere participation in tournaments to making a thriving, self-sustaining sports activities financial system.
