Nigeria Customs Service Backs Commonwealth Games Athletes with Training Grants

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), under the stewardship of Comptroller General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has pledged significant support for the National Sports Commission’s athlete training grant programme. This timely intervention comes as Nigeria ramps up its preparations for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games.

The NCS has provided crucial backing to the Commission’s initiative, which is specifically designed to enhance the readiness of elite athletes in the run-up to major international competitions.

Just two weeks ago, twenty-six elite athletes, representing various sporting disciplines, were awarded training grants amounting to millions of naira. This financial injection aims to bolster athletes’ preparation by providing improved access to high-calibre coaching, superior nutrition, state-of-the-art training equipment, and valuable exposure to competitive events.

The National Sports Commission has underscored the critical timing of the Customs Service’s support, as athletes embark on the final phase of their preparations for global competitions. These grants are anticipated to alleviate financial burdens that frequently impede optimal performance, thereby enabling beneficiaries to concentrate fully on their training regimes.

Beyond the institutional backing, Comptroller General Adeniyi is widely recognised as a fervent sports administrator. He also presides over the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, where he has consistently championed structured funding, grassroots development, and the welfare of athletes.

His unwavering dedication to Nigerian sports was evident during the recent Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where he actively galvanised support for the Nigeria national football team, boosting morale and national backing for the squad.

This week, that very passion translated into tangible infrastructure development with the official commissioning of the Wale Adeniyi Sports Arena in Ibafon, Lagos. The facility, a Corporate Social Responsibility endeavour by the Nigeria Customs Service, was formally inaugurated by the Comptroller-General himself.

The arena is poised to become a focal point for community sports development, talent identification, and youth engagement, further highlighting the Service’s expanding influence beyond its core statutory duties.