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ABUJA – Speaker of the House of Representatives, Right Honourable Tajudeen Abbas, has endorsed the ongoing reforms at the National Institute for Sports (NIS), describing the Institute’s expanding presence across the country as a major step toward strengthening grassroots sports development and improving access to coaching education.
The endorsement came as the Speaker also committed to sponsoring the training of coaches from Kaduna State, a move expected to bolster technical capacity within the state’s sporting community.
In a statement signed by the S. A. Media, Office of the Director General and Chief Executive Officer, National Institute for Sports, ADC, Ben Ogbemudia, on Thursday, in Abuja said the Speaker’s position was conveyed to the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports, Comrade Philip Shaibu, by his Senior Special Assistant and former President of the Kaduna State Football Association, Hon. Magaji Abdul Alhassan.
According to Alhassan, the Speaker praised the Institute’s decentralisation strategy, particularly the establishment of zonal centres designed to bring training and professional development opportunities closer to sports stakeholders across the federation.
He said Speaker Abbas viewed the inauguration of the North-West Zonal Centre in Kaduna as an important development capable of expanding coaching education while contributing to the growth of sports within the region and the country.
Beyond the commendation, the Speaker announced that he would sponsor 20 coaches from Kaduna State to undergo training at the National Institute for Sports.
He also pledged to institutionalise the initiative by increasing the number of beneficiaries to 25 coaches every year, a commitment aimed at ensuring sustained capacity building and continuous professional development for coaches in the state.
Responding to the development, the Director General of the National Institute for Sports, Comrade Philip Shaibu, expressed appreciation to the Speaker for supporting the Institute’s vision and demonstrating confidence in its programmes.
Shaibu said the backing from the leadership of the House of Representatives would provide additional momentum for the Institute as it continues to widen access to quality coaching education and professional training across Nigeria.
“This support will only inspire us to do more for the National Institute for Sports and for Nigerian sports in general.
“We sincerely appreciate the Speaker’s commitment to sports development and his investment in building the capacity of Nigerian coaches,” the NIS Director General said.
He added that the Institute would continue to collaborate with governments, sports administrators and other stakeholders to deepen grassroots sports development through expanded coaching education and improved technical training.
Shaibu reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to producing highly skilled coaches capable of contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s sporting advancement while sustaining efforts to extend professional development opportunities to every region of the country.
