NSC Focused on Creating Opportunities for Communities to Access Sports Facilities – Olopade

The Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, has outlined the Federal Government’s approach to sports development, stressing a focus on taking sports infrastructure closer to communities, while strengthening support for Nigeria’s women in sports, including athletes and other stakeholders.

Hon. Olopade explained that the ongoing focus on sports infrastructure is not limited to major stadiums, but also includes neighbourhood facilities and support for State Governments undertaking the construction and rehabilitation of sporting infrastructure across the country.

“We’re building neighbourhood facilities and supporting State Governments all across the country that are building and revamping sports infrastructures. We must create opportunities for communities to have access to these facilities,” Hon. Olopade said.

He added that access to sporting facilities at the community level remains essential to developing athletes and expanding participation in sports, particularly as the country seeks to build a stronger and more sustainable sports ecosystem.

The DG also used the opportunity to restate the administration’s commitment to inclusivity and improved support for Nigerian women in sports, pointing to developments across several women’s national teams and sporting federations.

“We have plans we’re putting in place for improved pay for the Super Falcons which will be announced soon,” he said.

On the growing role of women in sports administration, Hon. Olopade highlighted the leadership structure of the Nigeria Netball Federation, noting that women occupy a significant majority of positions on its board.

“Our netball federation has a female president and nine of our 13 board members are women. The sport is making history in Nigeria and we’ll give them all the support they need,” he said.

Nigeria’s netball team is currently making history with its debut at the Africa Netball Cup and the Netball 2027 World Cup qualifiers in Nairobi, Kenya, as the country expands its participation across international sporting disciplines.

Hon. Olopade also spoke about the administration’s support for D’Tigress, Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, following their recent success on the continental stage.

“Even in basketball, we’ve reassured D’Tigress that they have our full support. President Bola Tinubu has redeemed the nation’s $100,000 promise to each player and we believe they’d continue to rule Africa, as we remain committed to our women’s teams in every sport,” he said.

Beyond infrastructure and athlete welfare, Hon. Olopade said the focus of sports administration should be on the progress being made while learning from setbacks that have characterized the sector in the past.

“Look, I’m a pathological optimist. I refuse to dwell on the failures of the past. And if I should stop dwelling on the failure of the past, you cannot judge today’s trajectories on the past failures,” he said.

He said the current approach is aimed at resetting Nigerian sports by creating a system that prioritizes access, athlete development, infrastructure, welfare and sustained opportunities across sporting disciplines.

For the NSC, the objective is to ensure that the benefits of sports development are felt not only by elite athletes competing on the international stage, but also by communities and young Nigerians who need access to facilities and opportunities to begin their own sporting journeys.