Sports

NSC Outlines Tinubu’s New Sports Mandate To Federation Presidents

Published

6 months ago

December 13, 2024

Joel Ajayi

National Sports Commission ,NSC, has unveiled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s new mandate aimed at transforming Nigerian sports into a sustainable sports economy.

The detailed vision-unveiling was led by the leadership of the NSC during a strategic meeting with Presidents and Secretaries of various Sports Federations, on Tuesday, in Abuja.

The meeting marked the first official engagement between the NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade with federation leaders following institutional changes in Nigeria’s Sports sector.

Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko emphasized the shared vision between the NSC and Sports Federations, stressing the importance of partnership in driving growth and sustainability in Nigerian sports.

“We believe we are all partners with the various Sports Federations, working together for the same goal to reposition Nigerian sports”, Dikko stated.

“We came here with a clear mandate from Mr. President to get sports working again by building a sustainable sports economy. We can’t just measure our sports by participation in tournaments but by its contributions to the entire economy, and that is the new mandate and direction”, he added.

To achieve this vision, Dikko outlined a three-pillar strategy for Nigerian sports: Reset, Refocus, and Relaunch..

Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade echoed the Chairman’s call for strategic reforms, emphasizing the NSC’s commitment to athlete development and governance restructuring.
“One thing we have also worked on is getting a consultant to come work with the Commission.

Mr Bambo Akani, Founder & CEO of Making of Champions will be our Consultant, working closely with the Commission to develop a relationship with the elite athletes across all the Sports through the Elite Development and Podium Board,” Olopade revealed.

He announced plans to establish a training fund for exceptional athletes, which will commence in February 2025. The fund will ensure athletes receive financial support for training well ahead of major competitions.

“Once we do that, we will start paying their training funds long before a major event. The days of athletes getting training grants at competition venues are gone”, Olopade stated.

He also emphasized the NSC’s efforts to improve governance within Sports Federations by introducing a corporate governance structure and appointing marketing-driven Chief Operating Officers ,COOs. He applauded the Nigeria Rugby Federation for leading this effort with the appointment of Babatunde Adeluola as its COO.

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Sports

August 22 Set as Kick-Off Date for 2025/26 NPFL Season

Published

21 hours ago

June 13, 2025

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

Following what many have described as one of the most successful football seasons in recent years, the Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, has announced that the 2025/26 season will commence on August 22 and run through May.

Elegbeleye made this known on Friday during a press briefing held to review the just-concluded season and unveil plans for the upcoming campaign.

According to him, the decision to announce the kickoff date early is to ensure that the NPFL aligns with the international football calendar.

“We called this briefing to review the achievements of the past season and to inform Nigerians about the date for the new season, in line with global football standards,” he stated.

“This is perhaps the first time in nearly 20 years since the start of the modern NPFL era in 2005 — that both kickoff and closing dates have been strictly adhered to. It’s a promise we made and a promise we’ve delivered,” Elegbeleye stated.
He added that the new season will begin on August 22, 2025, and conclude in May 2026, maintaining the calendar structure established in the previous season.

Reviewing the recently concluded 2024/25 season, which ran from August 31, 2024, to May 25, 2025, Elegbeleye highlighted several milestones and statistical achievements.

He noted that Remo Stars made history by clinching the league title with three matches to spare after defeating Niger Tornadoes on Matchday 35, April 27. Remo Stars finished at the top of the table, followed by Rivers United and Abia Warriors.

In total,380 matches were played across the season. Each of the 20 clubs played 19 home and 19 away games, 286 matches were won, while 94 ended in draws.

A total of 784 goals were scored, comprising 552 at home and 232 away goals.60 goals came from the penalty spot, with 16 penalties missed. 13 own goals were recorded, and there were four hat-tricks.

On discipline: 1,380 yellow cards and 56 red cards were issued.

As Yusuf Anas of Nasarawa United topped the list with 18 goals, including two hat-tricks.
He was followed by veteran Rabiu Ali with 13 goals, and Anthony Ijoma of Abia Warriors with 12 goals.

Isaac Saviour (Rangers) and Amadu Liman also recorded a hat-trick each.

He added that: “Out of the 380 matches played:188 were broadcast live by StarTimes, while Propel streamed over 200 matches online.

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