The minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, has been advised to re-introduce the National Sports Commission, given the need to revamp sports in Nigeria following the country’s dismal outing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Dr Paul Bankole made the suggestion, among several others, in a recent letter titled ‘Save our Sports’ to the minister in which he proffered salient solutions for the revival of Nigerian sports, significantly the inadequate and obsolete sports structure, which he believes can be made effective with a vibrant National Sports Commission.
The latter partly read, “Hon. Minister, you were right, and perhaps the only Sports Minister in recent times, to acknowledge that the current sports structure in Nigeria is inadequate and obsolete and hence needs a complete overhaul to restore its former glory.
“You also admitted that we needed a functional system and structure. These can be seamlessly achieved by ensuring that Nigeria embraces one of the global best practices in sports with the re-introduction of the National Sports Commission, with you as the Executive Chairman for the next three years, instead of the Ministry of Sports Development.
“This will enable you to overhaul the system and employ professionals who will run sports in Nigeria as an enterprise and not as civil service.
“It is when the National Sports Commission is put in place that the Nigeria Olympic Committee can become the hub of elite and grassroots sports—especially school sports—and not just like a department under the sports ministry, as currently constituted. This is one of the major changes that must take place in Nigerian sports if we are serious about taking sports to the next level.
Dr. Bankole also stressed the need to establish national sports science institutes and high performance centres across the country to conduct very basic, cutting-edge research that should technologically drive experiments, innovations, and breakthroughs, especially via sports science, digital, and sports business.
He stated, ”Hon. Minister, another major reason Nigerian sports is nose-diving is the absence of any Sports Science Institute with a Body of Researchers to conduct very basic cutting-edge research that should technologically drive experiments, innovations, and breakthroughs, especially via Sports Science, Digital, and Sports Business. There is none in Nigeria today.
“With the establishment of a National Sports Science Institute, Nigeria will be capable of evolving institutionalised sports development strategies and policies that will de-volently produce—very soon—totally tremendous levels of positive results in Nigerian sports through the inculcation of sports science into our sports training methodologies.
“As a member of the Association of Sports Performance Centres, which is the international organisation in charge of high-performance centres globally—working in tandem with the International Olympic Committee, I know, through research conducted and still being conducted, that the superior performances of modern-day athletes are the products of a very simple combination of physiological, biomechanical, nutritional, and psychological factors. I comment with due respect and humility, sir.
We in the ASPC have discovered that coaches and trainers in nations excelling at the Olympics and other high-profile international and national competitions and events, recognize that the most consistent methods of preparing athletes for the demands of national or international competitions are those based on proven scientific principles.
We have also discovered that any country’s future success in any sport at the highest level is determined by the ability of its sports scientists to identify those persons—officials, coaches, trainers, and athletes—with special training talents and initiate the appropriate research programmes to foster specific human and other factors that determine success in sports administration, development, competitions, and business.”
He further urged the minister to declare a state of emergency in Nigerian sports by convening a National Sports Summit, which mainstream must be strategically harnessed.
“He stated, “I therefore strongly recommend that you convoke a National Sports Summit, which will involve philanthropists, Olympians, stakeholders, and technocrats, especially from the Ministries of Education, Agriculture, and Health, the National Orientation Agency, and from the local government areas of the country. Corporate organisations like banks, industries, and the NBA should be invited to participate in the summit.
“This summit should be tasked with the responsibilities of eliminating bureaucracy and red tape from sports management, administration, promotion, and business in Nigeria.
It is when Nigeria can establish a National Sports Commission, a National Sports Science Institute, and high-performance centres in all the states of the federation that we will begin to gain influence, relevance, and respect. It must become statutory for all states in Nigeria to transform all sports councils and sports ministries into sports commissions. This can be legislated seamlessly.
“The summit will also discuss issues concerning the funding of sports in Nigeria generally. In countries where sports are managed as serious business, elite or professional sports thrive on sponsorships, partnerships, grants, and scholarships.
While government funds are used strictly for the development of grassroots sports, especially at the community and school sports levels, the reverse is the case in Nigeria. Indeed, 95% of government funding for sports in Nigeria goes to the funding of football clubs, sports federations, and associations. A travesty of the nobility of this vocation called sports. This is unacceptable and must stop.”
Dr. Bankole ended the latter by assuring that medals will be won during the Para-Olympic Games, adding that it was necessary for Nigeria to adequately celebrate all the athletes who have participated in both the Olympics and Paralympic Games as a sincere gesture of appreciation.
