NSC Chair Dikko Pledges End To Coaches, Players’ Salary Delays

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has attributed the recurring delays in payment of salaries and bonuses to Nigerian coaches and players to bureaucratic funding processes, assuring that new reforms approved by President Bola Tinubu will permanently address the issue.

Speaking on Arise News’ Morning Show on Friday, Dikko reacted to reports that Super Eagles Head Coach, Eric Chelle, is owed about three months salaries and bonuses ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

While acknowledging that delays sometimes occur, the NSC chairman insisted that no coach or player is intentionally owed.

According to him, the challenge often occurred in the distinction between approving funds, releasing funds, and finally paying beneficiaries, noting that a delay at any stage can affect timely payment.

“There are times the coach is paid in advance, and there are times there are delays,” Dikko said. “Approving funds, releasing funds, and paying funds are different processes. Sometimes there are delays along the chain, but nobody is owed deliberately.”

He explained that the National Executive Committee (NEC) has intervened to support the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in meeting its financial obligations, adding that efforts were ongoing to settle any outstanding entitlements.

Dikko further revealed that the Federal Government has approved far-reaching reforms aimed at preventing future embarrassment arising from delayed payments, which have in the past led to protests and strained team morale.

According to him, President Tinubu has directed that all sports-related funding be fully captured in the national budget and treated as a priority charge, saying once the budget is signed, funds earmarked for sports will be immediately available, eliminating prolonged bureaucratic bottlenecks.

“Sports funding is time-sensitive,” he said. “When competition dates are fixed, you cannot afford delays. The President has approved that funds budgeted for sports should be released immediately and set aside for access when needed.”

He also disclosed that fragmented sports funds currently spread across multiple government agencies will be consolidated under the National Sports Commission (NSC), a move he said would significantly strengthen funding capacity and improve financial stability across sports federations.

Dikko expressed confidence that the new funding framework would restore trust among athletes, coaches, and Nigerians, stressing that timely payment is critical to performance and the country’s sporting reputation.

He assured that with the reforms in place, issues of unpaid salaries and bonuses would soon become a thing of the past in Nigerian sports.