Investing In Youth: NSC, NTIC Celebrate Nigeria’s Sporting Future

The future of Nigerian sports shone brightly on Wednesday as the National Sports Commission (NSC) continued its nationwide appreciation tour, recognising outstanding junior athletes with significant cash rewards.

The event, held at the Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC) in Abuja, saw the Chairman of the NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and Director General, Bukola Olopade, personally present cheques ranging from N1 million to N3 million to the young stars for their exceptional performances in 2025.

Among the celebrated athletes were high-flying sprint sensation Miracle Oluebube Ezechukwu, Crown Umeh, Unique Kamsiyonna Umeh, Andrew Miracle Yemi, Adaeze Ezeh Precious, and Rosemary Chigozie, all of whom are female athletes. This vital initiative underscores the NSC’s commitment to acknowledging and nurturing the next generation of Nigerian sporting talent.

Mr Feyzulla Bilgin, the Managing Director of NTIC, passionately articulated the college’s belief in the power of sports. He described sports as a “national asset” and a “unifying factor” for Nigeria. “When we couple it with education, which is about being a better person, having qualifications, and developing skills, we have a very interesting and extraordinary project,” Bilgin stated, highlighting NTIC’s integrated approach.

He proudly revealed that 15 of the honoured athletes are currently on scholarship at NTIC, a testament to the institution’s dedication to producing students who excel both academically and athletically on national and international stages.

The initiative received further commendation from the former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, now Special Adviser on Public Communications and Orientation to President Tinubu. He lauded the continued support for the program, which originated during his tenure. “That is when you find them young, it’s like planting the seeds. You water them over the years, you can invest. I guess harvest time has started,” he remarked, emphasising the long-term vision behind the investment in youth.

He also praised the current NSC leadership, Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade, for their commitment to continuing successful policies rather than “reinventing the wheel.”

Chairman Dikko reiterated the foundational importance of youth and school sports. “Youth and school sports with academies is quite fundamental and the foundations of our sports environment. Without that, you can’t just go anywhere,” he asserted.

He expressed confidence in these young athletes’ potential, predicting they would be “all over Africa at their level and even function beyond their level” within the next two years. The NSC’s focus, he added, is now on sustaining and building a robust system to identify and honour these athletes who are bringing glory to Nigeria.