Ernest Osogbue.
Following the poor performance of team Nigeria at the Paris Olympic Games, in 2024, there was a loud clamor by sports stakeholders for the resuscitation of the National Sports Commission, NSC. According to the stakeholders, a switch from a politically exposed minister to a professional sports administrator, which the NSC represents, would transform Nigerian sports, and yield better results in the long term. Without much ado, President Tinubu, acceded to the demand, by scraping the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, and constituted in its stead, the National Sports Commission. Mallam Shehu Dikko, was soon announced as the chairman, before Bukola Olopade, was named as the Director General, DG. Almost two years into their appointments, there has been little or no shift at all in the overall approach to sports development at the national level.
As it stands, both Dikko and Olopade, are more interested in their positions and the power it affords them, than the development of Nigerian sports. There was skepticism in some quarters when their names were reeled out by the president for such an onerous task. Despite the doubts, most people conceded that it was the president’s prerogative to make appointments, while the onus was on the stakeholders to support the appointees. For me, the first sign of trouble was the unnecessary bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Having followed the entire bidding process for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, as a sports reporter with the Federal Radio Coporation of Nigeria FRCN, I was in the know of the reasons why the Abuja bid had failed, and how Glasgow’s bid succeeded. It was therefore surprising, that Nigeria could suddenly launch another bid, without first making efforts to rectify the errors of the 2014 bid. This proved to me that both Dikko and Olopade, were simply too excited about their appointments, and do not necessarily have the courage to tell the president the truth. There was no way in hell Nigeria could have won the 2030 Commonwealth Games hosting bid. As a result, I did a comprehensive report on why the Abuja 2014 bid failed, and why the 2030 bid may equally not succeed, which I published on this website.
Incidentally, since their appointments, Dikko and Olopade, have stood in the way of a substantive board being appointed for the the NSC by the president. They have been operating as a two-man riot squad, acting like they know it all, and not giving room for alternative positions. With a substantive board in place, populated by knowledgeable people, and responsible stakeholders, a cross fertilization of ideas would take place, and a better policy framework could be formulated for the development of Nigerian sports into the future. Instead, what we have are two ambitious young men, going for each other’s throats in a fight for supremacy, while Nigerian sports is left floundering like a headless chicken.
Let’s dial back a bit, and look at the pedigree of these two gentlemen. Shehu Dikko, was chairman of the defunct League Management Company LMC. In that office, he supervised the running of the Nigerian Professional (Premier) Football League. Before then, however, he had been a member of the board of the Nigerian Football Federation NFF, and had contested the presidency of the body on two previous occasions. His appointment as the chairman of the NSC, was therefore seen as a redemption of sorts. That however, glosses over the fact that while he is a qualified football administrator, his depth of knowledge of the entire gamut of sports administration; from athletes management, to the organization of events, infrastructural development, and others, remains largely untested.
For Bukola Olopade, the same could be said, however, Olopade was a two term Commissioner of Youth and Sports in Ogun State, and doubled as the chairman of the main organizing committee of the 2024 National Sports Festival in Abeokuta. I haven’t been to Ogun State recently, so I cannot readily speak on the performance of Olopade as Commissioner of sports in that State, suffice it to say that being commissioner in a state, is a far cry from administering sports at the national level, where you require both local and international collaborations if you are to succeed.
This brings up the next point, which is about bidding and hosting international competitions. After the failed bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, President Tinubu made it clear that he was ready to support Nigeria to host international sporting events. As a result, the NSC, through its two leaders, put in a bid for the 2031 All Africa Games. This is all well and good. The criteria for hosting the All Africa Games, is completely different from that for the Commonwealth Games, so it could be a low hanging fruit. Unfortunately, however, information available, is that Nigeria has equally lost the bid for the 2031 All Africa Games to Uganda, due to the naivety of Dikko and Olopade. The technical committee of the African Union Sports Council AUSC, met recently to assess the bids of both Nigeria and Uganda, and after taking a vote, Uganda scored 5 votes, while Nigeria scored 3 votes, with 4 members abstaining. The ministerial committee of the AUSC, would be meeting later in June, to ratify the vote of the technical committee, and if Uganda’s bid is upheld, then all hopes of Nigeria hosting the 2031 Games, would be lost.
Away from events hosting, and the achievement of podium finishes, it has become obvious that both Dikko and Olopade, are interested in quick results, with a view to making President Tinubu feel happy, and equally make him believe that they are doing very well. I do not believe that this is what the NSC should be doing currently, bearing in mind the current state of Nigerian sports generally. In recent times, Morocco has been involved in hosting almost all the international sporting events in Africa. Asisat Oshoala, the Super Falcons forward, was forced to question why CAF was awarding hosting rights to only Morocco. The answer to that question, is that Morocco has the required sports infrastructure, which Nigeria lacks. In 2030, Morocco will co-host the FIFA World Cup, alongside Spain and Portugal. This is due to years of Moroccan investments in sports infrastructure. In the last how many years, no new stadium has been built by the federal government. The MKO Abiola National Stadium, was built during President Obasanjo’s first term in office; 1999-2003. President Tinubu has shown an uncommon interest in Nigerian sports, when compared to some other presidents. What one would have expected the NSC leadership to do, is to take advantage of that interest, and build up Nigerian sports for the future. In this wise, the NSC would present a comprehensive blueprint of where Nigerian sports is, where it should be, and how she is to get there. One would have expected Dikko and Olopade to advice the president, that building world class sports infrastructure, would put Nigeria in pole position to host international sports events regularly in the future. In the short term, other regional events, could be hosted as a way of giving Nigeria international visibility, while infrastructural development continues in the background. If Presidents Yar’adua, Jonathan, and Buhari, had invested in sports infrastructure, Nigeria would not be in the current position. President Tinubu could break that negative chain, by focusing on the long term, as opposed to short term wins by focusing on podium finishes only. Dikko and Olopade could do better, by telling the president the truth. Unfortunately, however, I do not see Dikko and Olopade, having the courage to tell the president the truth, they are simply too happy in their current positions to take such a risk.
Another issue of contention, is the recently set up Nigeria Diaspora Talents Development Committee, by the NSC. The committee to be chaired by Dr. Tunde Adelakun, and made up of Nigerians resident abroad, is charged with identifying young Nigerian talents in the diaspora, with a view to nurturing them and convincing them to represent Nigeria. What Dikko and Olopade, do not understand, is that one does not have to be resident in the diaspora to be able to identify talents abroad, it is a matter of connections and the ability to have one’s ears to the ground. Earlier this year, I identified a 14 year old Nigerian girl, Charlotte Ehioghae, who is based in Western Australia. She won the 100m for U-16 girls at the Australian Junior Championship in 11.60s, beating Tannah Hildebrand, 12.01, and Jayla Olm, 12.04, to second and third positions. She also won the 200m, in 23.07s. I sent her videos to a member of the AFN board. Another young Nigerian athlete of note, is 16 year old Divine Iheme, who recently set the U-18 60m record in the UK at 6.68s, to erase the previous record of 6.72. He has a personal best of 10.29, in 100m, and a personal best of 21.28s in 200m.
Unfortunately, however, in 2025, during the AFN elections, Innocent Iheme, Divine’s father, who is a good friend of mine, was treated poorly by Olopade and Tonobok Okowa. Having been supporting athletics in the Southeast since 2021, through CLIMM Foundation, Innocent contested and won the election in Enugu, as the Southeast representative in the AFN board. However, Victor Okorie, who was formerly in that position, but was not eligible, due to his having declared bankruptcy in 2021, contrary to AFN, rules, was allowed to contest a rescheduled election in Abuja, after Olopade and Okowa, canceled the Enugu election on frivolous grounds. They subsequently paved the way for Okorie who lost in Enugu, to win in Abuja. I had personally been pressuring Innocent Iheme, that his son, Divine, must represent Nigeria. After the above incident, however, it has been difficult for me to broach that subject with Innocent. How do I approach him to convince his son to represent a country where he was blatantly cheated out of victory, when the UK government, and a multitude of sponsors are pressuring him to allow Divine to continue to represent the UK with so much largesse?
Another area that exposes the lack of depth at the NSC leadership, is at the level of the African Union Sports Council, AUSC. Of the entire six regions that make up the AUSC, not one Nigerian occupies any seat of note. This is an area where the NSC is expected to play regional politics and throw Nigeria’s weight around. If the AUSC is to take any decision now, Nigeria’s interests would most definitely not be protected. That is the reason why it was so easy for the technical committee of the AUSC, to vote for Uganda against Nigeria. It therefore, becomes imperative for Dikko and Olopade, to realize that their jobs at the NSC, goes beyond how Nigeria wins medals at competitions, it equally includes how they position Nigeria politically in the committee of sporting nations. How Nigeria develops her sports infrastructure, and understanding how sports is administered on the continent, and where Nigeria stands per time.
They must understand that the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa ANOCA, is different and plays a distinct role from that of the AUSC. While ANOCA is focused on the Olympic Games, and the preparation of athletes for international championships, the AUSC, is concerned with sports development within the African continent, using the All Africa Games, as it’s tool. Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade, must, therefore, improve their understanding of sports politics, and as well their level of stakeholder engagements, if they are to actualize President Tinubu’s vision for sports development in Nigeria. As of now, their attitude is that of persons too excited at being appointed, and so their ego gets in the way. What is required at the NSC leadership level, are persons who have already attained, and who have nothing to lose, but everything to give. As a result, they would be in a position to be more objective, and tell the president exactly where the shoe pinches, rather than acting as yes men to the president, as Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade, are currently doing.
