Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately inaugurate the 17-member governing board of the National Sports Commission (NSC).
Established in 1964, SWAN serves as the umbrella body for all sports editors, reporters, producers, and presenters. It warned that the commission was operating in gross violation of its establishing law due to the delay in constituting a proper board.
SWAN president, Mr. Isaiah Benjamin, in a statement through the secretary-general, Amb. Ikenna Okonkwo, on Sunday, said the commission had been functioning without a statutory board since its creation in October 2024, contrary to the NSC Establishment Act 2023.
“As a statutory board member of the NSC, I am compelled to urge the Chairman and Director-General to take all necessary steps to inaugurate the board without further delay,” President Benjamin said.
“Operating without a duly constituted board for nearly a year is not only a breach of the law but also undermines transparency and accountability.”
He emphasised that Section 2(1) of the Act “is very clear” on the composition of the board, which includes representatives from ministries, sports bodies, the organised private sector, academia, the medical field, the military, persons with disabilities, the Nigeria Football Federation, the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria, and SWAN.
“There is no lawful way to run the National Sports Commission without a properly constituted board.
“All major decisions made since October 2024 lack legal backing in the absence of the board,” he added.
The SWAN President also linked the situation to a wider pattern of governance lapses in Nigerian sports, citing ongoing litigation involving the Nigeria Football Federation and controversies surrounding the Athletics Federation of Nigeria elections.
“The NSC cannot continue to function as a two-man entity – comprising only the Chairman and the Director-General – while 15 other constitutionally mandated positions remain unfilled.
“This issue will remain a priority until the law is obeyed,” he warned.
SWAN further lamented the neglect of the association in the operational scheme, particularly in overseeing the engagement of experienced, qualified, and skilled communication managers to handle media operations of various sports federations.
According to President Benjamin, this would “complement the service of the NSC, enhance promotion, and boost the digital marketability of sports for sponsorship drives.”
He added, “Ignoring SWAN’s expertise in this regard is a missed opportunity to leverage professional sports journalism for national sports growth.”
SWAN also noted that a situation where national and international events are carried out unilaterally, without necessary input from the professional sports media body, is unacceptable.
“One of the major reasons why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his wisdom, approved a National Sports Commission is to enable accelerated and holistic growth and development of sport in Nigeria. What obtained in the past, when sports was under the Ministry or bureaucratic encumbrances, should be a thing of the past with the emergence of the NSC.
“A situation where unnecessary political or non-professional applications or approaches are deployed in the day-to-day operations of the Sports Commission is certainly not the way to go,” the statement concluded.
