The Chairman of the Nationwide Sports Fee, (NSC), Alhaji Shehu Dikko has emphasised the vital position of sports in fostering nationwide unity and driving nationwide improvement in Nigeria.
Talking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, whereas reflecting on actions marking the Worldwide Day of Sport for Growth and Peace, Alhaji Dikko mentioned sports go far past recreation, serving as a strategic platform for social inclusion, youth empowerment and {economic} development.
“Because the introduction mentioned, it captured the essence of the day. It’s a United Nations designated day, April sixth, for the Worldwide Day of Sport for Growth and Peace. It’s mainly to create consciousness of the worth sports can carry to the desk to interrupt boundaries, carry individuals collectively, and act as a driver of improvement and the financial system. It creates pathways for the youth and even impacts safety as a result of as soon as sports are working, the whole lot appears to be proper,” he mentioned.
He added that the sector aligns with the imaginative and prescient of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to place sports as a key nationwide asset able to breaking social boundaries and strengthening unity throughout the nation.
“In Nigeria, we’re clearly aligned with that, as it’s the imaginative and prescient of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make sports a key driver of the financial system and social inclusion. Right here in Nigeria, the President has declared sports a nationwide asset as a result of it breaks all our fault strains. When we’ve sports, no person cares who you might be or what you worship,” Alhaji Dikko famous.
In response to considerations about weak grassroots sports improvement, Dikko mentioned ongoing reforms are geared toward strengthening expertise discovery and constructing sustainable buildings throughout the nation.
” It’s not weak; we’re placing it collectively. The reforms underneath President Tinubu focus closely on sports. We’ve had a long-term deficit, however that’s why the President appointed a Senior Particular Assistant on Grassroots Sports. We’re engaged on the Nationwide Sports Pageant, the Youth Pageant, and youth video games. We’re additionally establishing a Sports Information Company. We’re additionally working with the Ministry of Schooling to carry again faculty sports—the Principals Cup, faculty competitions—so there’s a pathway from the grassroots to the college degree,” he revealed.
Addressing considerations over Nigeria’s absence from the FIFA World Cup, Shehu Dikko described it as an remoted setback, noting the state of affairs had largely developed earlier than the institution of the Nationwide Sports Fee in October 2024.
“That was an remoted case. We have been too centered on soccer. By the point the Sports Fee got here into play in October 2024.”
Including, he mentioned that steps at the moment are being taken to construct stronger techniques and buildings inside Nigerian sports to forestall comparable disappointments sooner or later.
“We did what we needed to do, however now we should arrange a system to make sure this doesn’t occur once more. Nigeria is a big and needs to be on the World Cup. We even petitioned FIFA, however they checked out technicalities,” he mentioned.
Responding to questions on frequent disputes in soccer, Shehu Dikko mentioned adherence to established guidelines stays elementary to the integrity of the sport.
“It’s concerning the guidelines. South Africa misplaced factors, and Nigeria was deducted factors in 2018 for fielding an ineligible participant. Taking part in inside the guidelines is a part of the sport. We transfer on and concentrate on the longer term.”
On inclusion in sports, Shehu Dikko maintained that para-athletes are receiving elevated help underneath the NSC.
“It is best to ask the para-athletes. For the reason that creation of the Sports Fee, they’ve by no means obtained extra help. We’ve supported them in each worldwide competitors. Simply final Friday, we concluded the Nationwide Para Video games in Abuja. The First Woman, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was the Visitor of Honor on the closing ceremony. Para-athletes save our blushes as a result of they at all times win medals on the Olympics and Commonwealth Video games. We now have para-cyclists in camp proper now, and have a look at Eniola—she is now primary on this planet as a result of help of the Fee,” Dikko identified.
Addressing considerations about Nigeria’s restricted illustration on the 2026 Winter Olympics, the NSC Chairman defined that participation is essentially decided by qualification requirements somewhat than choice alone.
“We nonetheless invested within the Winter Olympics. Nigeria isn’t a winter nation, however we’re one in all solely six African nations collaborating. Our winter athletes are primarily based overseas, however we’ve a particular federation for winter sports. We performed trials for native athletes too. It’s about qualification; you may’t simply register. Our bobsled workforce missed qualification by milliseconds. We’ve modified the price range cycle so we don’t look forward to the Olympics to fund athletes; we help them all through the qualification course of,” he defined.
On funding and fee delays, Shehu Dikko attributed the difficulty primarily to administrative procedures inside the public {financial} system somewhat than a scarcity of funds.
“It’s concerning the bureaucratic means of how cash is paid. No athlete is owed cash—they’re at all times paid, however there is likely to be a delay between a Tuesday and a Friday resulting from Central {Bank} processes.”
Moreover, Dikko mentioned President Tinubu has directed satisfactory funding for sports, with sooner launch of funds and the creation of a Sports Infrastructure Growth Fund to improve services nationwide.
“To repair this, the President issued a directive that sports ought to have satisfactory funding within the price range, and as soon as signed, all funds for actions needs to be launched instantly. He additionally authorized for us to work with industrial banks to take away administrative bottlenecks. Moreover, he authorized a Sports Infrastructure Growth Fund to lift cash upfront to repair infrastructure throughout the nation to international requirements,” he shared.
Addressing considerations about last-minute complaints from athletes, the NSC Chairman mentioned most complaints are amplified on social media, noting that for the reason that NSC was established, athletes have been paid on time, together with AFCON funds authorized by the President.
“Sure, all these points, for instance, are at instances social media points. What number of instances did you hear about this? It’s solely perhaps our footballers right here and there. This has been mainly a factor of the previous since we got here on board; athletes have at all times been paid. You haven’t heard of any athletes complaining throughout that interval.
“The AFCON was beginning on December nineteenth. The President authorized the monies for the AFCON on November 14th—greater than a month earlier than the event begins,” he mentioned.
Lauding President Tinubu’s reforms within the sports sector, Dikko revealed that the President has addressed the issue of delays in fee by issuing a directive to streamline the method, guaranteeing that future approvals and disbursements are dealt with effectively.
“That’s the reason the President now solved this downside by making this directive that: ‘Look, henceforth, that is the best way we should always go.’ You can provide it to the President. He’s a grasp of fixing massive issues and bringing options to them and displaying them to a perspective.”
Favour Odima
Times Nigeria