NOC AGA: NSC Unveils Strategic Reforms To Guarantee Early Olympics Preparations

AKINSINDE ADEOLA OYINDAMOLA

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has thrown his weight behind early preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and other critical competitions. This much was revealed by National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman, Shehu Dikko while declaring the virtual Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) Annual General Assembly open.

While pointing out that the Commission had resolved to go down a route never used in the past, Dikko observed that a key step is to change the nation’s pattern of preparing for the Olympics and other major international competitions.

His words, “In addition to other sporting activities, my DG and I have managed to create a deliberate budget line in the 2025 budget for the Olympics 2028 preparations. We want to make this a standard in sports budgeting as preparations should not only be left till the year of the event but also a continuous yearly process hinged on some domestic sports development. Every year we will make sure that there is funding in our budget lines for the Olympics preparation and other major competitions. There is also a budget line for the Commonwealth Games 2026 preparation. So, in addition to whatever we will do with the private sector, every year there should be funding in the budget to support preparations for these key events. We are going to arrest this trend of late preparations for the Olympics. We thank Mr. President for backing us in this plan which clearly aligns with the renewed hope agenda and shared prosperity vision of Mr. President and indeed will be a foundation for activating our domestic sports echo system.”

The Commission has even made provisions in the budget for international competitions that the nation hasn’t yet qualified for in 2024 but may qualify in the 2025 fiscal year.

“For the first time in the service-wide-votes, there is some provision for the funding of international competitions. These funds were put in the service-wide-vote in case there are competitions which we qualify for in 2025, but as at today we have not qualified so as to reduce going for intervention funds all the time to fund this competitions. So there is a clear process where they can go and take money from there for those competitions without going for intervention funds”, he added.

To ensure regular supply of talents for these global events, there is a deliberate disposition towards grassroots development of sports.

“There is a budget line created for talent identification and grassroots sports development. It’s a deliberate move to do that and Mr. President has even appointed an SSA on Grassroots Sports Development to show how serious he is with grassroots sports development”, he said.

While appreciating the Engr. Habu Gumel-led NOC for the “efforts put into the Olympics movement in Nigeria”, the NSC helmsman reiterated their resolve to do things differently.

He continued, “As you are all aware, the president has taken the bold step to ensure that sports is run strictly by professionals by creating the National Sports Commission. He has also taken the bold decision to treat sports as a national asset. Therefore sports will get all the support and special consideration to drive it needs growth and to succeed.Therefore we have resolved at the National Sports Commission to work with our colleagues at the NOC to achieve this mandate. Part of the mandate we have from Mr. President is to see how we work with all the stakeholders to see how we create the sports economy in Nigeria.

“The reason is that we have been focusing on all the competitions all these years and the result is the same. We win some, we lose some, while forgetting to develop our internal sports industry. So the focus now is to reset what we used to do before from being more competition-driven to being developmental-driven. So we have to place more emphasis on development by creating the structures that will facilitate sports development. While we are not going to disregard participation in the competitions, we have to work very hard to ensure we prepare and compete creditably in every competition we feature in.

“So we have come up with what we call the three Rs. We have to reset our thinking. Number two, we have to refocus what we are doing and be deliberate about it and thirdly, we have to relaunch our sports industry to make it more positive and more attractive to private investors. To promote these plans we have, sports have received unprecedented support by Mr.President in the current 2025 budget proposals that has been presented to the National Assembly. There are deliberate projects that have been proposed to enable us jumpstart this process.”
He has particularly heartwarming news for NOC.

“The good news for the NOC is that there is a provision in the 2025 budget proposals to support NOC to build a permanent secretariat in Abuja in line to global best practices and standards of host Governments supporting the building of Olympic secretariat. Mr. President has approved that. God willing, by the end of the 2025 fiscal year, NOC might have a permanent headquarters in Abuja”, he concluded.

On his part, the DG, Hon. Bukola Olopade restated their resolve to change the narratives in Nigerian sports.
“I have no doubt that this initiative by Mr. President to set up the National Sports Commission under the leadership of Mallam Shehu Dikko will go a long way in creating that synergy and symbiotic relationship between the NSC and critical stakeholders like NOC”, he opined.

Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) President Mustapha Berraf, represented by ANOCA Finance Director Jonathan Dyagas, applauded President Tinubu for entrusting Nigerian sports in the hands of professionals.

“May I use this opportunity to congratulate the chairman and DG of National Sports Commission for your well-deserved appointment. I am particularly glad that you are all involved in sports administration. I believe this should pilot Nigerian sports to a higher level. I wish you a successful tenure”, he said.

He also brought good tidings to the Olympic movement in Nigeria.

“Your participation at the various Games has contributed to the overall success of the Games. I am delighted to inform you that ANOCA has doubled its athletes scholarship budget for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Fifteen top-ranking athletes in Olympics sports will be awarded scholarships by ANOCA. It is our belief that this will encourage our athletes and enable more African athletes to qualify for the 2028 Olympics. Be assured that ANOCA is available to provide every support that Nigeria will require to succeed at the 2028 Olympics. This is the time for Nigeria to start preparing immediately for the LA Olympics”, he proffered.

Earlier, Engr. Gumel had listed the forthcoming events under the purview of Committee as follows; Islamic Solidarity Games (2025), ANOCA Youth Games (2025/26), Youth Olympic Games (2025), Glasgow Commonwealth Games (2026), All African Games (2027), Los Angeles Olympics (2028).

Highpoint of the ceremony was a standing ovation accorded the NSC leadership as championed by Gumel.

He concluded, “We welcome the Sports Commission back at the helm of our sports, particularly the chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko and DG, Bukola Olopade. We give them a standing ovation for what they are doing within a short period of time. Though this is virtual, we will rise and give you a standing ovation to show that we are solidly behind you in all your plans. We sincerely thank the president for the support he is giving both of you. We have no doubt that you will succeed.”