Private Sector Funding Will Flow To Sports Federations That Embrace Good Governance — Olopade

The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, has said Nigerian sports federations must embrace transparency, unity and sound corporate governance to attract private-sector investment and secure sustainable funding.

Olopade, who spoke against the backdrop of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) elections held in Abuja on Thursday, said sports such as basketball, football and athletics had significant commercial potential but would struggle to attract sponsors if plagued by internal disputes and poor administration.

He also defended the NSC’s involvement in the NBBF electoral process, insisting that the commission was committed to ensuring fairness, equity and equal opportunities for all stakeholders.

According to him, the commission had spent weeks engaging parties involved in the disagreements surrounding the election to ensure a peaceful process and prevent further legal disputes.

“I would like to emphasise that the election must be a family affair, where equity must prevail and every stakeholder must be given a fair opportunity to compete,” Olopade said.

He explained that the NSC had outlined key requirements for the election, including holding it in Abuja, complying with the commission’s policy on the Association of National Sports Federations (AFAN), and recognising the highest-ranking international representative of the sport.

Olopade said the commission had written to the NBBF electoral committee and relevant stakeholders to ensure that Sam Amadu, whom the NSC recognised as the federation’s highest-ranking international representative, was allowed to participate in the process.

He said the commission’s intervention was necessary to uphold fairness and respect its established records on the representation of Nigerian sports federations at international level.

The NSC director-general expressed satisfaction that the election was conducted peacefully, with AFAN recognised during the process.

He added that the commission had worked behind the scenes to bring the opposing sides together and expected both the outgoing and incoming NBBF leaderships to appreciate those efforts.

Turning to the financial challenges facing Nigerian basketball, Olopade acknowledged concerns over the loss of major sponsorship arrangements that had previously supported the domestic league.

He, however, expressed confidence that the new NBBF president, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, would build on the work of his predecessor, Musa Kida, and strengthen the administration of the game.

Olopade praised Kida for his contributions to Nigerian basketball over the years, noting that sports administration was demanding and required sustained commitment.

He said attracting commercial partners depended largely on the ability of sports federations to demonstrate accountability, stability and measurable results.

“Basketball, football and athletics are not sports that should be obsessed with money. The money is out there. You must organise yourself in a corporate manner and have corporate governance that will be respected by the private sector so that they can support you,” he said.

The NSC chief warned that persistent disagreements and internal conflicts could discourage potential investors, regardless of a sport’s popularity or commercial appeal.

He said federations needed to establish clear objectives, maintain unity and develop key performance indicators (KPIs) that would enable sponsors to assess their performance and the value of their investments.

“When you have unity, a clear purpose of construction, a clear purpose of results and KPIs that show the private sector that you are a serious-minded group of people, the funding will come,” he added.

Olopade maintained that improved corporate governance and effective administration were essential to unlocking the commercial potential of Nigerian sports and reducing dependence on traditional funding sources.

He urged sports administrators to focus on building credible institutions capable of attracting private-sector support and delivering sustainable development.