By

Felly  Mammah

Since the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Shehu Dikko assumed office on the 30th of October, 2024, he has systematically and deliberately been putting in place structures that would result to proper development of sports in Nigeria. After he was appointed by President Bola Tinubu, it took a little while before the Director General (DG), Hon. Bukola Olapade was appointed to compliment his efforts. 
Many sports analysts believe that Dikko and Olapade who have been very visible in sports administration will be one of the best combinations to take the sports sector to the next level.
 

The DG is no doubt the head of administration in the Commission, but it should be noted that the affairs of staff, the political might that shops for the finance needed in the running of the sector rest on the Chairman who has the task of liaising with the government. It is also, worthy to note that there is a huge difference between the administration in the civil service as it is controlled by a Permanent Secretary and Directors while the administration of a Commission involves Board Members and experts whose voices and actions are also, game-changers; more so, Commissioners are likely going to take charge or the different zones to proffer solutions for a way forward.

 
The defunct Ministry of Youths and Sports Development which later in 2023 metamorphosed into the Ministry of Sports Development on the assumption of President Bola Tinubu, produced a minister who was not versed in sports administration and as a result, faced mass criticism especially from media correspondence.
These men of the pen profession are the torchlight of global sporting activity; they equally keep the history of both sports participation globally as well as the records of athletes’ performances. Their torchlight on the past Minister's and particularly in the recent past, have revealed that most of the people who presided over sports administration do not really have any knowledge of the sector before their appointment.

 
The exit of the immediate past Minister, Sen. John Owan Enoh, refreshingly paved the way for change and this has brought in sports personnels that are expected to place sporting activities in the digital world. Suffice it to also, that the new management of Sports Commission in parts of her changes is expected to sanitize athletes’ attitude and character for better reflection of children who have seen and communicated with their peers in the Western world.

 
However, the clarion call on President Tinubu to remove politics in sports may have changed the leadership of sports going by what many sports fans saw in the last outing of both Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, where a country like Nigeria did not measure up to her potentials.
Also, the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Games which was awakened during the time of the past Minister could not cover the visible poor performance of the Olympic Games where a whopping sum of N12 Billion was released at the time the country was in financial crisis with little or nothing to show for it.

 
Therefore, it is heartwarming that the President harkened to the cries and appeal of his fellow sports lovers to handpick a known figure in the sports arena to share his wealth of experience that gave him a name in Sports and position as the former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Chairman League Management Company (LMC), FIFA match Commissioner of significance, 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and presently CAF Committee Member, in addition to his new portfolio as Chairman NSC.

 
My reference point here is that Alh. Dikko has been given the authority to effect positivity in sports sector, co-ordinate over 40 sports federations in the sector, welcome ideas of both sports stakeholders, individuals and veterans of sports that will enable him x-ray the reasons for poor performances in the sector and to chat a way forward for success story. There can never be a new testament without an old testament, thus the reason Alh. Dikko’s doors have remained open to receive courtesy calls that included the visits by past administrators and foreigners who want to facilitate with whom the cap fits.
 

Still, in the mood of celebration to formally welcome Alh. Dikko to office was the peculiar power of sports which gathered momentum and the crowd for happy moments as seen in the recent novelty match organized by friends, associates and sports veterans at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja recently. That gathering clearly announced not just a man who has made a name for himself at a height in global political decision making in sports circle but has also, given voice to our country's leagues and international activities.
 

Sports is a significant sector that comprises emotion, tension, happiness, sadness even deaths and hope irrespective of the fact that it has the potential to feed many mouths. The sector cannot be compared to any other Ministry with delayed bureaucracies and frustration of abilities. While in the civil service the head will rather submerge a growing talent for fear of power thrown. Sports has been proven to generate revenue as well as attract public partnership which are all aimed at enhancing podium performance by the athletes.
 

Shehu Dikko’s business vision and wide participation in football contributed in making him the right candidate to place the sector in its expected level and also, contribute to the GDP of the country’s economy and equally be accountable as well as support an articulated roadmap for success.
The novelty match that first  announced success story to be told in the administration of Shehu Dikko last year, had the likes of former Super Eagles like Samson Siasia, Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju, Dominic Iorfa, Ahmed Musa and many notable sports vetrans.

 
Others that graced the occasion were Super Sports General Manager, Felix Nwogu, former and present Chairmen of House Committee on Sports, NFF President, NOC members and persons from across the globe, which indicated a clear fact that Dikko can actually gather momentum and people that can support his ideology to deliver as charged by the presidency.

 
However, the Chairman’s meekness to open his doors to all does not mean weakness neither does it mean that he has not commenced work officially. His work is more of brain tasking because ideas actually rule the world. I will boldly say that he has resumed work with like minds that will not only be on the same page with him but will as well be on success Guinness Book with him.