By Felix Khanoba
Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has initiated moves to integrate sports training programmes of the National Institute for Sports (NIS) into the Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative, in a move aimed at expanding employment opportunities for Nigerian youths.
The proposed integration is expected to provide young Nigerians with practical skills in sports coaching, facility management, groundskeeping and other sports-related professions, while strengthening the country’s sports industry.
Alausa disclosed this during a meeting with the Director-General of the NIS, Comrade Philip Shaibu, where both officials explored areas of collaboration between the education and sports sectors.
A statement signed by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, on Friday, said the proposal would enable young Nigerians to access vocational training through the NIS centres across eight states, with programmes lasting up to six months being considered, subject to necessary approvals.
The Minister said the initiative would build on the reported achievements of the Federal Government’s TVET programme, which has trained or graduated more than 250,000 Nigerians through approximately 1,200 centres within the last 12 to 18 months.
He disclosed that about 98 per cent of the centres were privately operated, while participating trainees received a monthly stipend of ₦30,000.
According to him, incorporating sports-related vocational training into the programme would create additional career opportunities for young people and address manpower gaps in the country’s sports industry.
Alausa also highlighted the need to develop local expertise in sports infrastructure management, particularly in groundskeeping, pitch maintenance and games instruction.
He noted that investments in sports facilities would require adequately trained personnel to maintain them in line with international standards, adding that developing local professionals could reduce dependence on foreign workers.
The Minister further disclosed that a common curricular framework had been developed in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), sports experts, the private sector and the National Sports Commission.
The framework covers six areas: Sports and Exercise Science; Coaching and Development Science; Sports Management and Business; Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation; Sports Technology and Data Analytics; and Sports Law.
He explained that the framework was designed to promote structured sports education across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, while expanding opportunities beyond conventional physical education.
Earlier, Shaibu commended the Minister for the ongoing education reforms and renewed attention to technical and vocational skills development.
Drawing from his experience as former Deputy Governor of Edo State, the NIS Director-General emphasised the importance of incorporating sports into the school curriculum.
He recalled an initiative introduced in Edo State under which five per cent of the 30 per cent continuous assessment score in primary and secondary schools was allocated to sports.
Shaibu identified the shortage of qualified games masters and certified coaches as a major obstacle to grassroots sports development, stressing the need to strengthen the training and certification of sports professionals.
He also disclosed that the NIS had expanded its operations across the six geopolitical zones and graduated more than 1,000 coaches within one year.
The Director-General said the Institute’s 2025–2035 strategic plan was designed to improve its sustainability and reduce dependence on government funding.
He outlined efforts to revive coaching, fitness and executive certificate programmes, strengthen coach certification, train groundsmen and establish career pathways for retiring athletes.
Shaibu appealed to the Ministry to integrate the Institute’s basic training programme into the national TVET framework and provide institutional support to expand its training capacity and financial sustainability.
Responding, Alausa reaffirmed the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate with the NIS and the National Sports Commission to strengthen the relationship between education, vocational training and sports development.
He said equipping young Nigerians with practical and industry-relevant skills remained essential to expanding employment opportunities, building local capacity and developing a sustainable sports economy in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
