By Ijeoma Okigbo
Philip Shaibu, the Director-General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS) has called for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to unlock the economic potential of sports.
Shaibu made the call on Tuesday while speaking at the Nigeria Employers’ Summit in Abuja.
He commended the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) for organising the event, while creating a platform that brings government and private sector stakeholders together.
According to him, collaboration between both sectors is critical to repositioning the sports industry and boosting the nation’s economy.
“This programme has created the needed handshake between the public and private sectors. The collaboration is what our country needs, and it will work for our economy.
“It is time for us to change our mindset. Sports is the new oil well.
“If we develop sports properly, unemployment will become a thing of the past, while insecurity, if not completely eradicated, will be greatly reduced,” he said.
Shaibu disclosed that, with the support of President Bola Tinubu, the institute had established operational presence in the country’s six geopolitical zones and was working towards expanding to all 36 states by the end of 2027.
“Today, the NIS is back to life after 52 years. If NIS works, Nigeria will work, but if NIS fails, Nigeria will eventually fail,” he said.
Shiabu urged greater investment in grassroots sports development, noting that Nigeria faced a shortage of certified coaches.
According to him, many Physical and Health Education teachers in secondary schools are not professionally certified to coach athletes.
Shaibu said the institute was training certified coaches who would work with schools to identify and develop young sporting talents across the country.
He called on parents, schools and private organisations to partner with the institute in nurturing future athletes, expressing confidence that sustained investment in sports would restore Nigeria’s competitiveness in international events.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Joseph Edeh