Sports
NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko Receives NUGA Delegation, Buttresses Importance of School Sports
…Draws inspiration from California universities’ athletes winning 89 medals at 2024 Olympics_
The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has emphasized the critical role of educational institutions in advancing sports development across Nigeria.
While receiving a delegation from the Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA) on Tuesday, Dikko stated that schools and universities are key to nurturing young talent and building a strong foundation for the country’s sports future.
He stressed that collaborating with educational institutions to improve sports facilities, coaching, and training programs will create a pathway that will be essential to identifying and grooming future athletes who can represent Nigeria on national and international stages.
The Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA) delegation, led by its president, Bawa Muhammed, expressed confidence in Dikko’s leadership, given his experience and background as a grounded sports administrator.
Bawa added that NUGA has huge confidence in Dikko’s abilities and shares in his vision to grow sports and the sports economy. He said university athletes won approximately 35% of the medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and NUGA has a mission to propel Nigerian sports to such international success.
In response, Dikko spoke fondly of the glory days of NUGA, recalling his time at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where student-athletes, where all proud and angling for opportunities to participate and compete in the NUGA Games.
“The NUGA Games is a tournament that every student wants to be a part of,” he said. “NUGA is key to sustainable sports development, and we need to collaborate to ensure that talents emerge from these games.”
Athletes from four universities in the State of California won 89 medals at the last Olympics with only Stanford university students winning 39 (12 gold, 14 silver and 13 bronze). Dikko said such achievements are a reflection of the importance of educational institutions in sports and Nigeria must take the record as a motivation to work hard to be in that bracket.
He emphasized the NSC’s commitment to fostering talent through a focus on grassroots and school-based sports. He highlighted the importance of partnerships with NUGA and the Ministry of Education to secure private funding for infrastructure and training in universities.
“With the right facilities and coaching, we can cultivate young talent that will naturally bring medals and achievements for Nigeria,” he explained.
Dikko further assured the delegation of the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure the revival of the schools sports in Nigeria.
To his end, Dikko stated that the short term objective is to, through the NSC ensure the immediate resuscitation and revitalization of the NUGA games back to its glory days whilst on the medium and long term is to establish Centres of excellence using universities and secondary schools as a bedrock. As a pilot, one university will be identified at each geo-political zone to serve as centre of excellence while some secondary and primary schools with be identified in collaboration with the sub-nationals to serve as Centres of excellence in the states. With this strategy therefore, there would be a clear pathway for talented athletes to be identified right from childhood and be nurtured properly all through to professional levels without compromising their education.
Dikko also stated NSC expectations from sports federations, underscoring that only those with a concrete and sustainable developmental approach would receive approvals/funding support to participate in international tournaments.
“It’s not just about tournaments but about real development. We need to work with NUGA, collaborate with education ministries, and help us build sports programs within schools,” he concluded.
He affirmed that the NSC will be dedicated to strengthening sports at all levels of education in Nigeria.
News
Ringo Sport Club, National Parks Service Team Up to Promote Eco-Tourism, Combat Climate Change
By Joel Ajayi
The Ringo Sport Club–Nigeria and the National Park Service (NPS) have begun moves to strengthen collaboration on eco-tourism promotion, environmental protection and climate change mitigation ahead of the maiden Nigerian Para-Military Ringo Sport Tournament (NIPAMRIST) 2026.
The National President of Ringo Sport Club–Nigeria and Chairman of the National Inter-Agency Organising Committee (NIAOC) of NIPAMRIST, Malam Ahmed Mohammed Sule, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Conservator-General of the National Park Service, Dr Ibrahim Musa Goni, at the Service’s headquarters in Abuja.
The visit was part of ongoing stakeholder engagements to secure the participation of personnel from para-military agencies and explore areas of cooperation ahead of the three-day tournament scheduled for November 19 to 21, 2026, at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Sule said the tournament was designed to bring together officers and personnel of Nigeria’s para-military agencies to compete for honours while promoting inter-agency cooperation, national unity, physical fitness and general well-being.
He explained that the engagement with the National Park Service was aimed at strengthening preparations for the inaugural competition and building a lasting partnership that would extend beyond sports.
According to him, the National Park Service is a strategic partner in advancing the tournament’s objectives, particularly through the integration of sports and tourism to showcase Nigeria’s natural attractions and encourage environmental awareness.
Sule disclosed that the Service had registered for the tournament and that some of its personnel had benefited from the intensive Ringo sport training programme organised by the club.
He urged the Conservator-General to mobilise more personnel for the competition, stressing that adequate preparation and mass participation would contribute to the success of the tournament.
The Ringo Sport Club president added that NIPAMRIST offered an opportunity to use sports as a platform for promoting Nigeria’s eco-tourism potential, improving the fitness of security and para-military personnel, and encouraging stronger institutional partnerships.
He called for sustained collaboration between the club and the National Park Service to leverage the tournament’s visibility in promoting the country’s protected areas and supporting tourism development.
Responding, Goni expressed appreciation for the visit and reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to the success of NIPAMRIST 2026.
He pledged that the National Park Service would encourage active participation by its personnel, describing the tournament as an avenue to improve physical fitness, discipline, teamwork and esprit de corps among staff.
The Conservator-General also welcomed the proposal for deeper cooperation on eco-tourism, noting that the Service had continued to pursue partnerships that support biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods and tourism development across Nigeria’s protected areas.
Goni linked the growing effects of climate change to environmental degradation and the neglect of environmental protection principles, noting that damage to ecosystems and the depletion of natural protective cover could contribute to displacement, migration and conflicts.
He said the relationship between sports and eco-tourism presented an opportunity to raise public awareness about Nigeria’s national parks while encouraging healthy lifestyles among service personnel and the wider population.
Goni assured the organising committee of the Service’s readiness to explore practical areas of cooperation before, during and after the tournament.
He also clarified that Nigeria has 17 national parks, with about 13 currently in active operation, correcting what he described as the misconception in some quarters that the country has only seven parks.
The visit ended with both parties agreeing to establish a working framework for the Service’s participation in the tournament and sustain discussions on eco-tourism promotion and other areas of mutual interest.
The organising committee expressed optimism that the partnership would strengthen NIPAMRIST 2026 and support its broader objectives of sports development, institutional cooperation and tourism promotion.
NIPAMRIST is the maiden inter-agency Ringo sport tournament organised by Ringo Sport Club–Nigeria for officers and personnel of Nigerian para-military establishments.
The 2026 edition is expected to feature 120 players and officials from eight agencies, including the National Park Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Federal Fire Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, among others.
The tournament is scheduled to run from November 19 to 21 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
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