The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, has called for increased grassroots competitions to develop young athletes across Nigeria.
Olopade said sports federations must become more active in organising competitions capable of discovering and nurturing emerging talents across the country.
He spoke during an interview on the state of sports development in Nigeria. According to him, Nigeria must establish a sustainable sports structure capable of producing world-class athletes from an early age.
“It is important that we create a system that will churn out world beaters from age 12 upwards,” he said.
Olopade stressed that developing young athletes should not depend solely on one national competition or championship. He said federations must organise regular grassroots tournaments to expose athletes to continuous competitive environments throughout the year.
According to him, consistent competitions would help sharpen the abilities of young talents and improve the country’s sports standards. Olopade recalled that, in the past, young athletes travelled across states for federation-organised events, which strengthened sports development.
“We had a system where we could send our children to Yobe, Kaduna, Kano, Enugu and Imo for competitions organised by federations,” he stressed.
“That is missing now. It is important that we have three, four or five grassroots competitions for our children to have a feel of competition continuously.”
Olopade warned against over-reliance on major national competitions for athlete development, describing such an approach as unhealthy for long-term growth. He said local tournaments remained essential for preparing young athletes for bigger national and international competitions.
He, however, welcomed ongoing debates and controversies surrounding sports policies, describing them as positive signs for the sector’s development.
“I like the controversy because it has put sports discussions at the forefront,” he stressed. “We need to keep the conversation going because sports development is important for the future of the country.”
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