By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Philip Shaibu, has positioned the Institute as the central driver of Nigeria’s sports reform agenda.
He maintained that the country must rebuild its sports system from the grassroots to achieve long-term success.
Shaibu described the NIS as the “engine room” of Nigerian sports and said the country cannot sustain elite performance without strengthening talent development structures at the foundation level.
He spoke in Abuja after the Institute’s weekly keep-fit exercise and during a meeting with the Rudder Sports Management team led by its President, Emmanuel Omijeh.
Grassroots Sports
Shaibu linked the renewed focus on sports development to the policy direction of President Bola Tinubu, saying the administration has begun to prioritise grassroots sports through targeted reforms.
He said the government has introduced a Senior Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports to support talent discovery and athlete development across the country.
Shaibu argued that Nigeria lost momentum in sports development because authorities neglected the National Institute for Sports, which he described as the core training hub of the sector.
“You cannot start a car without an engine, the Nigerian sports sector went on holiday because the engine room, the NIS, was neglected.” Shaibu stated.
Nurture Young Athletes
He stressed that Nigeria must rebuild its sports system through structured grassroots programmes that identify and nurture young athletes into elite competitors.
Shaibu also raised concerns about the lack of structured retirement systems for athletes and warned that many sportsmen and women exit active competition without financial security or career direction.
He called for mandatory transition programmes that prepare athletes for life after sports at least two years before retirement.
According to him, sports authorities must train retiring athletes in coaching, administration, and management to help them remain within the sports ecosystem.
Shaibu added that Nigeria must build a system that transforms former athletes into coaches and mentors to preserve sporting knowledge and tradition.
Empowerment Programmes
Speaking from his experience in Edo State, he supported retired athletes through integration into sports administration and empowerment programmes.
He also cited the discovery of footballer Imade Osarenkhoe during a university novelty match, describing grassroots scouting as critical to talent identification.
DG NIS explained that the player later joined Bendel Insurance, received full educational support, and went on to become a top scorer in both Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates league.
Post-career Stability
Shaibu noted that athletes under his programmes also received exposure to business and investment training to help them secure post-career stability.
He said Nigeria must strengthen collaboration among stakeholders to rebuild its sports ecosystem and ensure sustainability.
Earlier, Rudder Sports Management President Emmanuel Omijeh said his organisation continues to develop sports facilities and university-based sports systems to support institutional in line with the NIS mandate.
Edited by Julian Osamoto
