The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports, Comrade Philip Shaibu has said that grassroots sports remain a top priority for the Institute.
He noted that this is because of the importance President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attaches to sports development at the base level.
Shaibu stated that the President’s commitment to grassroots sports informed the creation of the Office of the SSA on Grassroots Sports Development.
According to him, the office was established to help strengthen sports departments across Nigeria and ensure that talents are discovered early.
The NIS boss explained that focusing on the grassroots will build a solid foundation for Nigerian sports.
He said when young athletes are trained properly from the base, Nigeria will have a steady pipeline of players for national and international competitions.
Comrade Shaibu also said Nigeria has the capacity to export coaches and referees to the global stage.
He therefore noted that with proper training and certification through NIS programmes, Nigerian sports personnel can compete favorably with their counterparts worldwide.
He reaffirmed that NIS will continue to align its policies and programmes with the President’s vision.
He added that taking sports to the grassroots remains central to achieving the Federal Government’s goal of sports development and job creation for young Nigerians.
Signed,:
Ben Ogbemudia,
S. A. Media,
Office of the Director General and Chief Executive Officer National Institute for Sports
ADC Abuja.