The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, where he briefed him on the Commission’s 2025 performance and plans for 2026.
Speaking to State House journalists after the meeting, Dikko described the visit as routine, noting that the commission reports directly to the President.
He said the President expressed satisfaction with the commission’s progress and reaffirmed his support for the administration’s vision of building a sports economy in Nigeria.
“Mr. President is very happy and excited with the progress and he is still giving the unwavering support and push that we need to deliver on the mandate to create a sports economy in Nigeria,” Dikko stated.
Highlighting achievements in 2025, Dikko said Nigeria won nearly 375 medals across various competitions and that sports contributed about 1.2 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product in the third quarter of 2025.
“Sports is no longer being measured only by medals. It is being measured by what it contributes to the GDP and how many jobs it creates,” he said.
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Dikko also addressed the pending 2026 World Cup qualification verdict currently before FIFA.
He disclosed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had submitted a formal complaint to FIFA, over alleged breaches of rules and regulations in the World Cup qualification process.
“We found out there are some breaches here and there, which we believe, even before we played the playoffs, those breaches, we noticed them, and we already documented them,” Dikko added.
“So ourselves and the NFF submitted to FIFA what we felt were the breaches against the rules and regulations, which are also part of sports. It’s not being sore losers, it’s just what it is.”
Dikko clarified that independent committees within FIFA would determine the outcome based on established regulations.
“The relevant bodies in FIFA are dealing with it. We are confident we have a good case,” the NSC boss said. “But we have already put the World Cup behind us. Whatever happens, it is what it is.”