Sports

CDS Musa seeks collaboration with NIS to enhance military coaches, athletes

Published

3 months ago

July 4, 2025

The Gleamer

… Says, Sports is an engine room to fight insecurity

… Sports can open doors for the Nation economic…. Shaibu

Joel Ajayi

The Chief of Defence Staff of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Gen. Christopher Musa has expressed the military readiness to partner with the National Institute for sports in the training and retraining of its coaches and athletes for ultimate performance.

The CDS also called on all stakeholders in sports to revived all grassroots sports across the States saying that sports remains an engine room to fight insecurity.

Gen. Christopher Musa who said he still remain a member of the Edo State Handball Association stressed that Nigeria is blessed with talents said, “once we engaged the youths, there will be no crime. In Nigeria, we are bless with talents. I can assured you of the military readiness to collaborate and partner with national Institute for sports in training and retraining of our coaches and athletes . Am an advocate of catch them young. We will give you the needed support in this direction”, he said.

Earlier, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports, Comrade Philip Shaibu said that the institution management visited the CDS to seek for collaboration and partnership with the military and also to introduce themselves to the CDS.

The former deputy governor of Edo State stressed the need for individual, government and cooperate bodies to invest in sports adding that, “sports can deal with all aspects of the economic.

“Funny enough Sir, NIS was established 50years ago, but can I tell you that the institution only breakground for 5 years. Since then , NIS has been in the limbo.

“NIS is a training institution. It has the capacity to train all management of the sports eco-system, is our responsibility. Looking at the military structure in terms of sports, we will have no choice but to visit and seek for collaboration and partnership.

While lamenting the death of state League across the country, Comrade Philip Shaibu, the DG/CEO of National Institute for Sports therefore advocated for the return of the league pointing out that the league can employ thousands of young Nigerians , thereby reducing the rate of crime.

The DG /CEO NIS who also briefed the CDS of the core mandate of the institute, said he is ready to work along with the renewed hope agenda of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu in ensuring the certificate of the institution is well recognized here in Nigeria and globally.

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Sports

FCT FA Board Member Urges Grassroots Reform, Hopeful For Super Eagles World Cup Qualification

Published

19 hours ago

October 5, 2025

The Gleamer

Legal Practitioner And Administrator Barr Bucknor Threatens To Petition FCT Minister Over Abandoned Stadiums

Despite Nigeria’s precarious position in the race for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Barrister Babatunde Burknor, a board member of the FCT Football Association (FA), remains hopeful that the Super Eagles can still secure qualification.

Nigeria currently sits third in their qualification group with 11 points from 8 matches, trailing Benin Republic and South Africa, who both lead with 14 points. Yet Burknor, a seasoned football administrator and grassroots sports advocate, believes all is not lost.

In a recent interview made available to BSN Sports, Burknor said: “Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup may appear almost impossible, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach. The situation is tough, yes, but looking at the quality of players in our squad, I still believe we can make it.”

He added that unexpected results from other group rivals could work in Nigeria’s favour.

“Football is unpredictable. There is still a chance that South Africa, Benin Republic, or Rwanda could drop points. If we win our remaining two games, we still stand a chance. Sometimes football reflects life where the strong may fall while the seemingly weak stand tall.”

Calls for Grassroots Reform in the FCT

Beyond national team concerns, Burknor also used the opportunity to address the state of sports development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to take concrete action to revamp local infrastructure.

“We have deep-rooted problems when it comes to grassroots sports. The major issue is a lack of funding and commitment from those charged with driving development at that level,” he said.

Burknor lamented the disappearance of once-thriving youth competitions like the Chairman’s Cup, Principal’s Cup, and Shell Cup, stating that such events played a crucial role in identifying and nurturing young talent.

“It’s disheartening that these programs are no longer active. Development is impossible without facilities, yet we lack even basic training grounds.”

The legal luminary revealed that he personally upgraded the sports facility at a government secondary school in his area to serve as a makeshift training centre, due to the absence of a functioning local stadium.

He is currently drafting a petition to Minister Wike, over abandoned stadiums in FCT, urging a comprehensive audit of officials responsible for sports development across the six Area Councils of the FCT.

Progress in Gwagwalada Football Development

As Vice Chairman of the Gwagwalada Football Council, Burknor highlighted the success of the Gwagwalada Football League, which has become a model for other Area Councils.

“In just two years, we’ve turned the Gwagwalada Football League into a success story. Several players from the league have already secured contracts in Europe. This shows what can be achieved with vision and consistency.”

Barrister Burknor, emphasized that grassroots football holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term football success and must be taken seriously.

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