NSC to Take Sports Facilities Closer to Communities, Boost Women’s Participation — Olopade
Oru Leonard
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has said the Federal Government is prioritising the development of neighbourhood sports facilities to expand access to sports and create more opportunities for young Nigerians.
Olopade said the government’s sports infrastructure programme would go beyond the rehabilitation and construction of major stadiums to include community-level facilities across the country.
“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 him, providing sporting infrastructure at the grassroots level is critical to identifying and developing talents while expanding participation and building a sustainable sports ecosystem.
The NSC boss also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the welfare and inclusion of women in Nigerian sports.
He disclosed that plans were underway to improve the remuneration of members of the Super Falcons, Nigeria’s senior women’s national football team.
“We have plans we’re putting in place for improved pay for the Super Falcons which will be announced soon,” Olopade said.
He also highlighted the growing participation of women in sports administration, citing the Nigeria Netball Federation as an example.
“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.
Nigeria’s netball team is currently participating in the Africa Netball Cup and the Netball 2027 World Cup qualifiers in Nairobi, Kenya, marking the country’s debut at the competitions.
Olopade further assured D’Tigress, Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, of the administration’s continued support following the team’s recent continental success.
He said President Bola Tinubu had fulfilled the Federal Government’s $100,000 reward promised to each player, adding that the government remained committed to supporting women’s national teams.
“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 and we believe they’d continue to rule Africa, as we remain committed to our women’s teams in every sport,” he said.
On the administration’s approach to challenges facing Nigerian sports, Olopade said the focus should remain on building a better future rather than dwelling on past shortcomings.
“Look, I’m a pathological optimist. I refuse to dwell on the failures of the past,” he said, stressing that the current trajectory of Nigerian sports should be assessed based on ongoing reforms and developments.
He said the NSC’s broader objective was to reset Nigerian sports by prioritising infrastructure, athlete development, welfare, inclusion and sustained opportunities across different sporting disciplines.
The Commission, he added, wants the benefits of sports development to extend beyond elite athletes to communities and young Nigerians seeking opportunities to begin and develop their sporting careers.
