National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman Shehu Dikko met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday to present a report on the commission’s 2025 performance and outline plans for 2026.
Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, Dikko described the visit as routine, explaining that the commission reports directly to the President.
“It’s just a normal visit. The Sports Commission reports to Mr. President, so we came to brief him on what we have done last year and the stage of execution of the approvals he has given us, as well as our plans for 2026,” he said.
Dikko said the President expressed satisfaction with the commission’s achievements and reiterated his commitment to developing a sports-driven economy. “Mr. President is very happy and excited with the progress, and he is still giving the unwavering support and push that we need to deliver on the mandate to create a sports economy in Nigeria,” he stated.
During the briefing, the NSC chairman also addressed the ongoing FIFA verdict on Nigeria’s petition against DR Congo over player eligibility in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Nigeria has challenged the eligibility of six DR Congo players who featured in the decisive playoff match that the Super Eagles lost on penalties.
Dikko mentioned that “we have already put the World Cup behind us. If at the end of the day our petition scales through, which I believe it should, then we have another lifeline and we shall proceed from there”.
The meeting highlighted the commission’s achievements in 2025, including Nigeria winning 373 medals across different sports internationally and securing ₦50 billion in private sector investment that created over 140,000 jobs in the sports sector.
Dikko added that the commission is working with the Federal Ministry of Education to revive school sports competitions such as principal’s cup tournaments, with funding provisions already included in the 2026 budget.
“We have given a definitive directive to all sporting federations: if you are not showing us what you are doing at the grassroots and domestic level, we cannot support you to go for international competitions,” he said.
On anti-doping compliance, Dikko revealed that President Tinubu had approved the constitution of the board of the Nigeria Anti-Doping Agency following the signing of the anti-doping bill last year. “One of the conditions WADA wanted to see achieved was the constitution of the board. Mr. President has now approved that. Nigeria has been declared a clean country in sports, so we are on the right track,” he explained.
Dikko also presented a jersey to the President in appreciation of his support, praising what he described as unprecedented backing for the sports sector. “Sports is time-sensitive. If funds are not released according to schedule, it becomes a problem. Mr. President has directed that once the budget is passed and signed, funds meant for sports should be released immediately so that we can plan and progress effectively,” he added.
The meeting comes weeks after President Tinubu approved a comprehensive reset of sports funding, directing that budgetary allocations for sports be released immediately after budget passage beginning from the 2026 fiscal year.
