Dr. Philip Shaibu, Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Sports (NIS), has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transforming the Institute into a Centre of Excellence, pledging full implementation of the long-awaited NIS Transformation Report.

 

During the formal presentation of the report in Abuja, Shaibu praised the 32-member committee led by Engr. Musa Kida, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), for producing a “live document” to guide the future of sports administration in Nigeria. He emphasized that the report would not gather dust but would be actively implemented with oversight from a newly established Implementation Advisory Committee, chaired again by Kida.

 

Shaibu highlighted that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu positions sports as a key driver of national development, youth engagement, and economic diversification. Plans include establishing NIS zonal offices in all 36 states to decentralize operations and expand training access.

 

Kida described the report as forward-thinking and adaptable, reflecting input from professionals, academics, and administrators. He drew parallels between reforms at NIS and those at NNPC, emphasizing transparency, excellence, and national pride.

 

Shaibu recalled the golden era of Nigerian sports, noting the NIS’s role in training legendary athletes like Emmanuel Okala, and stressed that sports unites Nigerians across religion and ethnicity. He called on media and stakeholders to support the reform agenda to reposition Nigeria as Africa’s leading sports powerhouse.