By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
FAR REACHING changes to sports funding and industry viability have been directed across key ministries and agencies of the Federal Government (FG) as President Bola Tinubu moves to reset Nigeria’s sports sector.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the President announced the plan on Friday evening in a message posted on his verified X handle, @officialABAT, describing sports as one of Nigeria’s strongest national brands and a tool for unity and global influence.
He said the reforms are anchored on the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy, which he described as a strategy to position sports as a driver of job creation, tourism, investment and global influence.
He added that his administration would build a stronger sports ecosystem through scientific elite athlete development, active grassroots participation, revitalised sports federations and hosting major international events in Nigeria.
“Sports is our national asset and thus must be administered, managed, and funded in alignment with its special nature and demands devoid of any bureaucratic bottlenecks,” he said.
Tinubu pledged that the future of Nigerian sports would be planned, properly funded and competitive, assuring that athletes would be supported early, prepared thoroughly and celebrated proudly.
“Nigeria will continue to win, with pride,” he said.
Referencing recent performances, the President wrote that in 2025 scores of athletes representing Nigeria made the nation proud.
He cited the achievements of individual champions in athletics and other sports, Nigeria’s winning female football and basketball teams and the Super Eagles who, despite finishing with a bronze medal at AFCON 2025, captured the nation’s hearts.
He disclosed that Nigerian athletes recorded what he described as an unprecedented 373 medals across all sports in 2025, saying the performances showed the country’s capacity to excel when talent is supported with structure and preparation.
“From grassroots competitions to continental and global stages, the evidence is clear that when talent is supported with structure and preparation, Nigeria delivers,” he said.
Tinubu commended the National Sports Commission (NSC) for making progress despite challenges and praised its leadership under chairman Malam Shehu Dikko for driving a reform agenda aligned with his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and shared prosperity vision.
He acknowledged longstanding issues that have undermined sports development, particularly delays in funding and weak infrastructure investment.
“For too long, sports funding was slowed by bureaucracy, fragmented across institutions, and when funds are released, they come too late to support proper preparation and even participation,” he said, adding that “no meaningful investment is made towards sports infrastructure development and maintenance that meets international benchmarks.”
Tinubu said the cycle must end and announced that he had approved and directed the Ministries of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning and the Budget Office of the Federation to reset sports funding from the 2026 fiscal year.
He said adequate provisions must be made in the annual budget for sports infrastructure development, maintenance, sporting activities, programmes, events and participation in international competitions, and directed that all funds appropriated for sports be released immediately once the budget is passed and assented to.
“Nigerian athletes deserve certainty, not excuses,” he said.
JKNewsMedia.com also reports that as part of the reform, President Tinubu said allocations for sporting activities currently spread across ministries, departments and agencies would be reviewed, restructured and streamlined, with savings transferred into a unified funding framework under the NSC to strengthen domestic programmes and international participation.
