NSC Targets Global Talent Pool As Teen Sprint Star Fasuba Receives Podium Prospect Honour

The National Sports Commission has reaffirmed its determination to identify, nurture, and support elite Nigerian athletes worldwide as part of a broader strategy to restore the country’s status as a global sporting powerhouse.

Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, reiterated the commission’s commitment during a visit to the United Kingdom home of teenage sprint sensation Annabelle Fasuba, one of the most exciting young athletics prospects of Nigerian heritage.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the DG’s Special Assistant on Media, Kola Daniel, Olopade stressed that the commission was committed to ensuring that talented Nigerian athletes, both at home and in the diaspora, receive the support they need to excel on the international stage.

According to him, the initiative is part of the commission’s wider ambition to strengthen Nigeria’s medal prospects at major global competitions while reconnecting with talented athletes of Nigerian descent worldwide.

“Nigeria wants you and will make sure we give you all the support you need to get to the very top in your career,” Olopade stated during the visit.

He added that the project aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision under the Renewed Hope agenda to create opportunities for Nigerians globally to contribute to national development through sport.

“This is one of the core objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the Renewed Hope mandate — to provide an enabling environment for the country’s sons and daughters across the world to proudly wear the green and white colours,” he said.

Chairman of the NSC Diaspora Talent Committee, Dr Tunde Adelakun, explained that the commission’s vision extends beyond athletic success alone.

According to him, the commission is equally focused on ensuring that young athletes maintain strong academic foundations and are adequately prepared for life beyond sport.

“We want to rewrite the history books not only by helping these athletes excel in sport, but also by ensuring they succeed academically and secure their future after sport,” Adelakun said.

He noted that the committee’s Diaspora Athletes Monitoring, Mentoring and Support (DAMMS) initiative was specifically designed to guide and support emerging talents such as Annabelle.

At just 14 years old, Annabelle Fasuba is already recognised as the fastest girl in her age category in the United Kingdom and is widely regarded as one of the brightest young sprint prospects in athletics.

She is the daughter of former Nigerian Olympian and ex-African sprint king Olusoji Fasuba, whose African 100 metres record and achievements remain among the greatest in Nigerian athletics history.

Olusoji Fasuba and his wife, herself a former sprinter, expressed appreciation to the NSC delegation for recognising and supporting their daughter’s development.

During the visit, Annabelle was presented with the Podium Performance Prospect recognition award under the commission’s Project P4 initiative by Olopade and Adelakun.

The honour marks the first diaspora recognition under the Project P4 programme, which is aimed at identifying and integrating outstanding Nigerian talents abroad into the country’s future sporting plans.

The NSC also revealed that Annabelle is among several diaspora athletes being considered for participation in the forthcoming National Intermediate Games scheduled to hold in Lagos later this year.