The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, said the Federal Government is prioritising the development of sports infrastructure at the grassroots to provide communities across the country with greater access to sporting facilities.
Olopade said the initiative goes beyond the construction and rehabilitation of major stadiums, noting that the Commission is also focused on developing neighbourhood sports facilities and supporting state governments in their efforts to improve sporting infrastructure.
“We’re building neighbourhood facilities and supporting State Governments all across the country that are building and revamping sports infrastructures. We must create opportunities for communities to have access to these facilities,” he said.
According to the Olopade, improving access to sports facilities at the community level is critical to discovering and developing young talents, increasing participation and building a stronger and more sustainable sports ecosystem.
He also reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the welfare and inclusion of women in sports, particularly athletes representing Nigeria at international competitions.
The Director-General disclosed that plans were underway to improve the remuneration of members of the Super Falcons, Nigeria’s senior women’s football team.
“We have plans we’re putting in place for improved pay for the Super Falcons which will be announced soon,” he said.
On the growing participation of women in sports administration, Olopade cited the Nigeria Netball Federation as an example of increased female representation in leadership.
“Our netball federation has a female president and nine of our 13 board members are women. The sport is making history in Nigeria and we’ll give them all the support they need,” he said.
The Nigeria national netball team is currently participating in the Africa Netball Cup and the qualifiers for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Nairobi, Kenya, marking a significant step in the country’s development and participation in the sport.
Olopade also reaffirmed the Commission’s support for D’Tigress, Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, following their recent success on the African continent.
“Even in basketball, we’ve reassured D’Tigress that they have our full support. President Bola Tinubu has redeemed the nation’s $100,000 promise to each player,” he mentioned.
“…And we believe they’d continue to rule Africa, as we remain committed to our women’s teams in every sport,” Olopade said.
The NSC Director General said the administration would remain focused on progress and future opportunities rather than dwelling on past setbacks in Nigerian sports.
“Look, I’m a pathological optimist. I refuse to dwell on the failures of the past. And if I should stop dwelling on the failure of the past, you cannot judge today’s trajectories on the past failures,” Olopade stated.
He explained that the current approach was aimed at resetting Nigerian sports by prioritising access to facilities, athlete development, infrastructure, welfare and sustainable opportunities across different sporting disciplines.
According to him, the objective is to ensure that the benefits of sports development extend beyond elite athletes competing at international competitions to communities and young Nigerians who require access to facilities and opportunities to begin and develop their sporting careers.
