SPORTS DEVELOPMENT POLICY: WHAT NOW? Kesiena Igho Oghoghorie canvasses the
remodeling of the entire sports system
The inauguration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the 16th President of Nigeria has come and gone, living Nigerians with bated breath on the government’s policy thrust and direction, not least, on sports development.
Sports in Nigeria in the last eight years have been a mixed bag, cycling between farce and failure. A few candles of hope however flickered when Nigeria became the first African country to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Federation of International Basketball Women’s Basketball World Cup in Spain in 2018; victory of the super falcons of the 8th and 9th edition of the African Women’s Football Championship in 2016 and 2018, setting an unprecedented record of winning the competition nine times in Africa; the Tobi Amusan’s World record at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, United States, etc.
Yet, the mild directional shift in the wind that blew through Nigerian sports towards the end of the last administration should not be misinterpreted as a change in the weather. There are still fundamental problems impeding the development of sports in Nigeria which the new administration would need to address, with a view to entrenching sports in the country on firmer grounds.
First up is sports administration, which is the process of carrying out administrative assignments within a sports organization. It is, arguably, the most vital component of sports development, the absence of which could impact on overall performances.
Yet the issue of sport administration has been one of people feeling comfortable in conditions of disorder, fishing in muddy waters and wanting to keep things as they are. From infighting and power tussle within sports federations; incompetent administrators; mismanagement and misappropriation of funds, etc.
The new administration would therefore need to embark on a radical overhaul so as to keep the sports administration machine in good working order. Effort should be made to ensure that sports administrative appointments are based on merit and not on political patronage, as this would make sport administrators have a steady hand on the tiller and grasp the nettle of sports development problems in Nigeria.
Secondly, School Sports are the bedrock of sports development in any nation. The success of countries such as the United States, Great Britain and Jamaica at the global level could be linked to their vibrant school sports system. Whilst Nigeria appears to have a similar system such as the Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF) and the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA), their operations and structures are not as robust as required.
A root and branch reform of the school sports system in Nigeria would therefore be needed so as to bring it in sync with global accepted standards. Such move would involve remodeling the entire sports system, along the lines of successful school sports systems across the world, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States and British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) in the United Kingdom. Nigeria’s local circumstances and peculiarities should be given consideration in the creation of the model.
Thirdly, sports policy, a major component of sports development, defines the government’s vision, strategy, necessary legislation, responsibilities and programmes for the development of sports in a society. It aids in the conceptualization of a clear pathway and sustainable ecosystem to maximize sporting potential.
Whilst there was the 171- paged National Sports Industry Policy, 2020 by the last administration, the implementation moonshot never left the launchpad. Effort should now be made to rev the idle engine of the sports policy document to full speed. Such a move would involve collaborating and engaging with all relevant sports stakeholders across the country including the state sports ministries and commissions, with a view to ensure that all the lofty and grandiose ideas contained in the policy document are brought to fruition.
Also, the issue of sports funding remains a major Achilles heel to the development of sports development in Nigeria. While the past administration initiated the ‘adopt an athlete’ funding programme, the issue of funding still persists. A more robust funding model would need to be formulated, moving forward.
A good place to start will be an upward review of the budgetary allocation for sports in the country, with the exploration of other sustainable funding sources. The National Lottery Trust Fund, as obtains in other developed climes, is one viable option. Consideration should also be given to the creation of the Nigerian Sports Trust Fund along the lines of United Kingdom (UK) Sport funding, which will be saddled with the responsibility of developing a sustainable and efficient sports funding model for all sports in the country.
Finally, a country’s sporting prowess is largely dependent on its level of investments in world class sporting infrastructure. Yet there is still a huge infrastructural deficit in Nigeria. Whilst the previous administration came up with the ‘Adopt a Stadium’ programme, it was, sadly, perceived by sports experts as another watered down approach that fell shy of what is required.
The sporting infrastructure base of the country would therefore need to be enhanced, with a view to bring it in sync with global standards. Such move would involve the strategic refurbishment, renovation and construction of stadia and sports performance Centres in the six geo-political zones of the country. The issue of maintenance and management of the facilities would also need to be explored, with consideration given to private sector experts who have the proven ability and expertise to manage such facilities, as obtained in other climes. This is in addition to the maximization of the economic benefits of the facilities, so as to ensure that the structures are contributing to the revenue generation drive of the country.
There has clearly been a long feeling of despondency with the country’s performance in sports at the global level. The ‘renewed hope’ slogan of the new administration now provides some optimism that from the ashes of uncertainty and despair of sports in Nigeria shall arise stability and hope. Nigerians are anticipating.
Oghoghorie, an Abuja-based Lawyer, is a Sports Policy and Development Expert
