The Director General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Philip Shaibu, has reiterated calls for increased funding for the institute, aimed at advancing Nigerian sports.
Shaibu made the call during a budget defence at the National Assembly in Abuja, on Wednesday. He affirmed the determination of the institute in achieving its objectives of sports development, which requires more funding.
“Our mandate is training manpower for the sports ecosystem as well as promoting sports from the grassroots,” he said.
“But we cannot do all that without adequate government funding; we need a budget that will reflect our vision and mission to improve sports.”
The NIS DG, who commended President Bola Tinubu and the House Committee on Sports for their support, appealed for the constitution of the board of the National Sports Commission. (NSC)
According to him, the board will go a long way in revitalising Nigeria’s sports. Shaibu, who described NIS as the life wire of sports development in the country, called for premium attention for greater heights in sports.
He blamed the lack of visible presence of NIS in all the states of the country on underfunding.
Earlier, the Chairman of the House Committee on Sports, Rep. Kabiru Amadu, berated the poor funding of the institute. Describing the institute as a veritable one in national sports development, Amadu emphasised the imperatives of increased funding for NIS.
He pledged on behalf of the committee to work in synergy with the relevant stakeholders in increasing their budget for optimal performance.
Nigeria’s National Institute for Sports (NIS), established in 1974, is mandated to function as a premier training and research centre for sports development.