NIS To Revalidate Coaches’ Certificates For Enhanced Performance

The Director-General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS) has announced plans to verify and revalidate coaching certificates nationwide. This initiative aims to improve coaching standards and eliminate unqualified individuals from the profession.

The announcement was made during a courtesy visit from the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI) at the NIS Building in Abuja on Monday. The Director-General stated that the institute has updated its database and will conduct a thorough verification process to remove “quack coaches” who falsely claim to be NIS alumni.

He highlighted a significant skills gap, noting: “The coaching gaps that we have in this country are over 2 million. When you go to most schools – primary, secondary and tertiary institutions – those so-called coaches are not coaches. More than 60 to 70 per cent of them are not certified coaches. Why? Because NIS was not working.”

The NIS has developed a new programme requiring all NIS certificate holders to undergo verification to ensure the integrity of their database. This will allow employers to easily identify genuinely certified coaches.

Addressing the ASURI delegation, the Director-General, who is also the CEO, pledged to utilise research to tackle the various challenges facing the NIS. He acknowledged the institute was at a “lowest point” but expressed confidence in finding solutions through research and leadership, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate to revitalise the NIS.

He further emphasised President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda,” which aims to use sport to foster national unity, diversify the economy, and empower young people. He stressed the importance of an optimally functioning NIS to achieve these goals.

Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, Secretary General of ASURI, congratulated Philip Shaibu on his appointment, expressing confidence that his background as a former Deputy Governor of Edo State and his experience in sport would benefit the institute. He assured the Director-General of ASURI’s support in the NIS’s journey to reclaim its former glory and become a hub for sports development.

The ASURI delegation was led by its National President, Dr. Kasim Izebe, and included Comrade Toye Fawole and Comrade Nosakhare Ogbomo.