Sports Can Unite Nigerians and Boost Economy, Says Shehu Dikko

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Shehu Dikko, has underscored the vital importance of sports in promoting national cohesion and advancing Nigeria's development.

In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, marking the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, Alhaji Dikko explained that sports offer more than just recreation; they serve as a crucial platform for social inclusivity, empowering young people, and stimulating economic progress.

"As the introduction said, it captured the essence of the day. It is a United Nations designated day, April 6th, for the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. It’s basically to create awareness of the value sports can bring to the table to break barriers, bring people together, and act as a driver of development and the economy. It creates pathways for the youth and even impacts security because once sports are working, everything seems to be right,” he stated.

He further commented that this perspective aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's goal of leveraging sports as a significant national resource capable of bridging societal divides and reinforcing unity across the nation.

"In Nigeria, we are clearly aligned with that, as it is the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make sports a key driver of the economy and social inclusion. Here in Nigeria, the President has declared sports a national asset because it breaks all our fault lines. When we have sports, nobody cares who you are or what you worship,” Alhaji Dikko remarked.

Addressing concerns regarding the perceived weakness in grassroots sports development, Dikko affirmed that current reforms are designed to enhance talent identification and establish sustainable structures throughout the country.

"It’s not weak; we are putting it together. The reforms under President Tinubu focus heavily on sports. We’ve had a long-term deficit, but that’s why the President appointed a Senior Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports. We are working on the National Sports Festival, the Youth Festival, and youth games. We are also setting up a Sports Data Agency. We are also working with the Ministry of Education to bring back school sports—the Principals Cup, school competitions—so there is a pathway from the grassroots to the university level,” he revealed.

Regarding Nigeria's absence from the FIFA World Cup, Shehu Dikko characterized it as an isolated incident, noting that the circumstances largely predated the establishment of the National Sports Commission in October 2024.

"That was an isolated case. We were too focused on football. By the time the Sports Commission came into play in October 2024."

He added that measures are now being implemented to develop more robust systems and frameworks within Nigerian sports to avert similar future disappointments.

"We did what we had to do, but now we must set up a system to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Nigeria is a giant and should be at the World Cup. We even petitioned FIFA, but they looked at technicalities,” he said.

In response to questions about recurring disputes in football, Shehu Dikko emphasized that adherence to established regulations is paramount to maintaining the integrity of the sport.

"It’s about the rules. South Africa lost points, and Nigeria was deducted points in 2018 for fielding an ineligible player. Playing within the rules is part of the game. We move on and focus on the future."

On the subject of inclusion in sports, Shehu Dikko stated that para-athletes are receiving increased support under the NSC.

"You should ask the para-athletes. Since the advent of the Sports Commission, they have never received more support. We’ve supported them in every international competition. Just last Friday, we concluded the National Para Games in Abuja. The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was the Guest of Honor at the closing ceremony. Para-athletes save our blushes because they always win medals at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. We have para-cyclists in camp right now, and look at Eniola—she is now number one in the world due to the support of the Commission,” Dikko pointed out.

Addressing concerns about Nigeria's limited presence at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the NSC Chairman clarified that participation is primarily determined by qualification criteria rather than mere selection.

"We still invested in the Winter Olympics. Nigeria isn’t a winter country, but we are one of only six African countries participating. Our winter athletes are based abroad, but we have a special federation for winter sports. We conducted trials for local athletes too. It’s about qualification; you can’t just register. Our bobsled team missed qualification by milliseconds. We’ve changed the budget cycle so we don’t wait for the Olympics to fund athletes; we support them throughout the qualification process,” he explained.

Regarding funding and delays in payments, Shehu Dikko attributed the issue mainly to administrative processes within the public financial system, rather than a lack of available funds.

"It’s about the bureaucratic process of how money is paid. No athlete is owed money—they are always paid, but there might be a delay between a Tuesday and a Friday due to Central Bank processes."

Furthermore, Dikko stated that President Tinubu has mandated sufficient funding for sports, along with expedited disbursement of funds and the establishment of a Sports Infrastructure Development Fund to upgrade facilities nationwide.

"To fix this, the President issued a directive that sports should have adequate funding in the budget, and once signed, all funds for activities should be released immediately. He also approved for us to work with commercial banks to remove administrative bottlenecks. Additionally, he approved a Sports Infrastructure Development Fund to raise money upfront to fix infrastructure across the country to global standards,” he shared.

Addressing complaints from athletes that often arise close to events, the NSC Chairman mentioned that many such grievances are amplified on social media. He noted that since the NSC's inception, athletes have been paid promptly, including funds for AFCON which were approved by the President.

"Yes, all these issues, for example, are at times social media issues. How many times did you hear about this? It’s only maybe our footballers here and there. This has been basically a thing of the past since we came on board; athletes have always been paid. You haven’t heard of any athletes complaining during that period.

“The AFCON was starting on December 19th. The President approved the monies for the AFCON on November 14th—more than a month before the tournament starts,” he said.

In recognition of President Tinubu's reforms in the sports sector, Dikko revealed that the President has resolved payment delay issues by issuing a directive to streamline the process, ensuring that future approvals and disbursements are managed efficiently.

"That is why the President now solved this problem by making this directive that: ‘Look, henceforth, this is the way we should go.’ You can give it to the President. He is a master of solving big problems and bringing solutions to them and showing them to a perspective."

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