By Chesa Chesa
The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, on Thursday briefed President Bola Tinubu on the commission’s 2025 performance of attracting N50bn private sector investments, and plans to deepen Nigeria’s sports economy in 2026 and beyond.
Speaking to State House correspondents after his meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa, Dikko described the visit as a routine engagement to update Tinubu, to whom the commission reports directly.
“It’s just a normal visit. We came to brief him on what we have done last year, the approvals he has given and the stage of execution,” he said, adding that the President expressed satisfaction with the commission’s progress and pledged continued support.
Dikko disclosed that Nigeria won 375 medals across various competitions in 2025 and that the sports sector contributed about 1.2 per cent to the country’s GDP in the third quarter of the year. He also revealed that the industry attracted about N50 billion in private sector funding and generated approximately 140,000 jobs across the sporting ecosystem.
According to him, the commission’s reforms are anchored on the “New Hope Initiative for Nigeria Sports Economy,” a framework aimed at measuring sports not only by medals won but also by economic impact, job creation and infrastructure growth.
On regulatory reforms, Dikko announced that President Tinubu had approved the constitution of the board of the Nigerian Anti-Doping Agency, following the signing of the anti-doping bill last year after nearly two decades of delay. The move, he said, aligns with requirements set by the World Anti-Doping Agency and has helped Nigeria maintain its clean status in global sports.
The NSC chairman also highlighted renewed focus on grassroots development. He cited the introduction of invited junior athletes as a “38th state” during the last National Sports Festival, as well as Nigeria’s strong outings at youth competitions in Algeria and Angola. He added that an intermediate games category for under-18 and under-20 athletes would be launched this year.
Dikko further disclosed a collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education to revive school sports competitions such as the NUGA Games and the Principal’s Cup, with provisions already captured in the 2026 budget proposal.
On football, Dikko said Nigeria and the Nigeria Football Federation had submitted a formal complaint to FIFA over alleged breaches during the World Cup qualification playoffs. He expressed confidence in the country’s case but maintained that the commission was focused on rebuilding for future tournaments, including upcoming continental competitions.
As a symbolic gesture, Dikko presented a jersey to the President to appreciate what he described as Tinubu’s unprecedented support for sports, particularly directives to ensure timely release of budgeted funds to the sector.
“What the President has been doing for sports has never been like this,” Dikko said, noting that prompt funding remains critical to achieving the commission’s long-term objectives.
