NIS Decentralisation: Comrade Shaibu Hands Over Operational Documents To Plateau Governor

The National Institute for Sports (NIS) has officially decentralised its operations, with the Director General/Chief Executive Officer, Comrade Philip Shaibu, formally handing over operational documents for the North Central Zonal Office to the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang.

The symbolic ceremony, held during Shaibu’s visit to the state on Tuesday, marks a significant step in revitalising and expanding the NIS across Nigeria, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Comrade Shaibu, describing his return to Plateau as a “homecoming,” highlighted the Institute’s long-overdue expansion. “After 52 years of establishing the NIS, under my stewardship, the Institute is now in Plateau State,” he stated, noting that the move breaks decades of centralisation in Lagos and Abuja.

Governor Mutfwang welcomed the initiative, praising Shaibu’s leadership. “When I first heard you were appointed, I asked, ‘NIS? Is it not dead?’ But what you have been able to achieve in less than a year is a testament to what young and energetic leaders like you can contribute to this country,” the Governor remarked.

Shaibu emphasised the NIS’s core mandate of capacity building, scientific training, and athlete development, aiming to reposition sports for youth empowerment and national development. Governor Mutfwang underscored the scientific basis of sports and lauded the choice of Plateau, stating, “Plateau is the home of athletes. There is no better place to train than Plateau because of its altitude.”

The establishment of this zonal office in Plateau is a key part of the NIS’s strategy to strengthen sports development nationwide.