Tinubu Orders Sports Sector Funding Reset

• Backs unified funding framework under NSC

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a sweeping reform of the nation’s sports sector, directing key ministries and agencies of government to reset sports funding and make the industry more economically viable.

The President, who announced the plan on Friday evening in a message posted on his verified X handle, @officialABAT, described sports as one of Nigeria’s strongest national brands and a major tool for unity and global influence.

Tinubu acknowledged longstanding issues that have undermined Nigeria’s sports development, particularly delays in funding and weak infrastructure investment.

“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,” he said, adding that “no meaningful investment is made towards sports infrastructure development and maintenance that meets international benchmarks.”

The President declared that the cycle must end, announcing that he had approved and directed the Ministries of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, and the Budget Office of the Federation to reset sports funding starting from the 2026 fiscal year. Tinubu said adequate provisions must be made annually in the national budget for sports infrastructure development, maintenance, sporting activities, programmes, events, and participation in international competitions.

He further directed that all funds appropriated for sports must be released immediately once the budget is passed and assented to.

“Nigerian athletes deserve certainty, not excuses,” the President stated.

As part of the reform, Tinubu said allocations for sporting activities currently spread across various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) would be reviewed, restructured and streamlined, with savings transferred into a unified funding framework under the NSC to strengthen domestic programmes and international participation.

The President said the reforms were anchored on the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy (RHINSE), which he described as a strategy to position sports as a driver of job creation, tourism, investment, and global influence.

He added that his government would build a stronger sports ecosystem through scientific elite athlete development, active grassroots participation, revitalised sports federations, and hosting major international events in Nigeria.

According to him: “Sports is our national asset and thus must be administered, managed, and funded in alignment with its special nature and demands devoid of any bureaucratic bottlenecks.”

The President pledged that the future of Nigerian sports would be “planned, properly funded, and competitive,” assuring that athletes would be supported early, prepared thoroughly, and celebrated proudly.

Tinubu wrote: “Nigeria will continue to win, with pride. In 2025… scores of athletes representing Nigeria made our nation proud.”

He cited the achievements of individual champions in athletics and other sports, Nigeria’s “winning female football and basketball teams,” and the Super Eagles who, despite finishing with a bronze medal at AFCON2025, “captured our hearts.”

The President disclosed that Nigerian athletes recorded an unprecedented 373 medals across all sports in 2025, stressing that the performances proved Nigeria’s capacity to excel when talent is supported with structure and preparation.

“From grassroots competitions to continental and global stages, the evidence is clear that when talent is supported with structure and preparation, Nigeria delivers,” he said.

Tinubu commended the National Sports Commission (NSC) for what he described as progress despite challenges, praising the commission’s leadership under its chairman, Malam Shehu Dikko, for driving a reform agenda aligned with his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and “shared prosperity vision.”