The Director-General of the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Phillip Shaibu, has accused the Federal Government of consistently sidelining the institute from national sports funding, despite what he described as the highest budgetary allocations the sports sector has ever received.
Naijaonpoint reports that Shaibu made the allegation on Monday, January 5, while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where he noted that although sports funding has increased significantly under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the NIS has remained excluded.
“Sports funding has seen one of the highest allocations in this administration. The last budget was the highest the sports sector has ever had, but NIS was not captured in that funding, and it has been like that for decades,” he said.
The NIS boss argued that the persistent exclusion of the institute from funding was not accidental, blaming the actions of past sports ministers and a flawed budgeting framework that prioritises consumption over development.
According to him, the National Assembly should summon former Ministers of Sports to explain their roles in what he described as the systematic destruction of the institute.
“I called that all the former Ministers of Sports should be called to come and account for their role in destroying NIS. It was deliberate because the budgeting system encourages consumption and does not encourage infrastructural development or maintenance,” Shaibu stated.
Shaibu further criticised Nigeria’s sports administration structure, describing it as fundamentally flawed and unsustainable.
He stressed that government involvement in sports should focus on infrastructure development rather than the day-to-day management of sporting activities.
“In simple economics, government has no business in business but has business in providing enabling environments. In sports, the government has no business in the daily running of sports, but they have business in developing and building the infrastructure. That infrastructure is what the private sector will leverage on,” Shaibu explained.
Recounting his experience since assuming office about five months ago, Shaibu revealed that he met an institution that had existed for over five decades without a clear development plan.
“I met the NIS, who is 51 years old, five months ago, without a plan, so we had to create a roadmap. Funding is a major problem, so we had to get the private sector involved,” he said.
The Director-General noted that years of poor performance in Nigerian sports have created widespread frustration, discouraging private sector investment in the system.
“Everyone is tired of praying and fasting for our sports for us to win tournaments, so a lot of private sector players are interested in making NIS work,” Shaibu said.
‘I Met A Very Lean Budget’
Despite inheriting what he described as a very lean budget, Shaibu said the institute has been able to revive key programmes through innovative thinking and public-private partnerships.
“I met a very lean budget, and that gave me more reason to think outside the box. With that lean budget, we’ve been able to kick-start our programmes,” he added.
Shaibu disclosed that the Abuja office of the institute, which had been inactive for decades, has now been revived without direct budgetary support.
According to him, the institute successfully organised its first three-month coaching programme in Abuja in over 30 years, with students graduating on December 18.
“We brought the Abuja office back to life with no resources. We had our first three-month coaching programme after 30 years in Abuja, and we graduated those students on December 18. The office is back and well renovated without budget and can compete with any office in Nigeria in terms of standard,” he said.
Shaibu warned that Nigeria’s sports development would remain unstable unless the NIS is properly funded and fully functional.
He stressed that the institute plays a central role in producing athletes, coaches, and referees needed to sustain the country’s sports ecosystem.
“NIS is the critical sector that produces the players, the coaches, the referees. It’s the training institute for the sports ecosystem. When that system is not functioning, don’t expect anything better in Nigerian sports because the engine room for sports is not functioning,” the former Deputy Governor of Edo State said.