The National Sports Commission (NSC) has announced a partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education to reintroduce sports programmes in schools across the country.
NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the Main Organising Committee (MOC) Secretariat in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, during the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2024.
Dikko described school sports as a foundation for sports development and said the initiative would involve introducing sports programmes in primary and unity schools across all local government areas. He also said the plan includes establishing universities of excellence in each geopolitical zone to support students with athletic potential.
He stated that the administration of President Bola Tinubu had made budgetary provisions to support sports federations in implementing their developmental programmes.
According to Dikko, the allocations are intended to assist federations in preparing athletes for upcoming international events, including the African Games and the Olympic Games. He added that the national budget includes provisions for Elite Athletes Development and the Podium Finish Board, both aimed at identifying and supporting athletes through federation-led strategies.
Dikko also referred to the involvement of a headline sponsor at the festival, attributing the development to federal policies and the state’s economic conditions in Ogun.
He said the combination of public funding and private sector participation was part of the current approach to sports development.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Chief Bukola Olopade, responded to concerns raised by journalists. He said some of the issues had been addressed ahead of the festival and noted that infrastructure and facilities would be improved in future editions.
