President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that the provisions for sporting infrastructure development, maintenance, and sporting activities be streamlined into a unified sports funding framework and be made annually in the national budget to break bureaucratic bottlenecks.
The President, in a statement on his official X handle late Friday disclosed that he has directed the Ministries of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning and the Budget Office of the Federation to begin the resetting of sports funding to ensure that henceforth as from the 2026 fiscal year adequate provisions are made for sporting activites and all Funds appropriated are released immediately once the budget is passed and assented to.
Tinubu explained that the allocations for sporting activities, currently spread across MDAs, will be reviewed, restructured, and streamlined, with the savings transferred into a unified funding framework under the National Sports Commission to strengthen domestic programs and international sports participation.
The President wrote, “In 2025, from individual champions in athletics and other sports, to our winning female football and basketball teams, as well as the Super Eagles who, despite their bronze medal at AFCON2025, captured our hearts, scores of athletes representing Nigeria made our nation proud.
“Sports is one of our strongest brands as a nation. It unifies us, breaks all our fault lines, inspires belief, and builds a sense of community that cuts across age, language, ethnicity, religion, and social status.”
He added, “Over the past year, Nigerian athletes in various disciplines carried our flag with courage and pride across Africa and the world, with Nigeria cumulatively winning an unprecedented 373 medals across all sports in 2025. From grassroots competitions to continental and global stages, the evidence is clear that when talent is supported with structure and preparation, Nigeria delivers.”
President Tinubu extolled the leadership of Malam Shehu Dikko, the chairman of the National Sports Commission, for the progress and success recorded during his administration despite the financial and administrative challenges.
Tinubu said, “I commend the National Sports Commission for the progress and successes in spite of the challenges. I salute the leadership of the NSC under the chairmanship of Malam Shehu Dikko for driving the reform agenda towards the resetting, refocusing, and relaunching of the sports sector in alignment with the renewed hope agenda and shared prosperity vision of my administration.”
The President acknowledged that bureaucracy has posed a great challenge to the preparation and participation of athletes and the sporting personnel during local games and international games.
Tinubu said, “Yet we must be honest. For too long, sports funding was slowed by bureaucracy, fragmented across institutions, and when funds are released, they come too late to support proper preparation and even participation. Likewise, no meaningful investment is made towards sports infrastructure development and maintenance that meets international benchmarks. That cycle undermined performance and placed our athletes at a disadvantage. This must change.”
In light of this the President approved and directed “the relevant ministries of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning and the Budget Office of the Federation for the resetting of sports funding to ensure that henceforth as from the 2026 fiscal year adequate provisions for sporting Infrastructure development, maintenance, sporting activities, programs, events and participation in international competitions are made annually in the national budget, and that all Funds so appropriated are released immediately once the budget is passed and assented to. Nigerian athletes deserve certainty, not excuses.
“In addition, allocations for sporting activities currently spread across MDAs will be reviewed, restructured and streamlined, with the savings transferred into a unified funding framework under the National Sports Commission to strengthen domestic programs and international sports participation.”
President Tinubu reaffirmed his position on the reforms, stating that they are integral to his ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda for Nigeria’s sports economy.
He said, “These reforms are anchored on the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy, RHINSE, which positions sports as a driver for job creation, tourism, investment, and global influence. In addition, through scientific elite athlete development, active grassroots participation, revitalised federations, and the hosting of major international events at home, we are building a sports ecosystem that works.
“Indeed, sports are our national asset and thus must be administered, managed, and funded in alignment with their special nature and demands, devoid of any bureaucratic bottlenecks.”
“The future of Nigerian sports will be planned, properly funded, and competitive. We will support our athletes early, prepare them thoroughly, and celebrate them proudly,” the President concluded.
