Joel Ajayi

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, has urged basketball promoter and initiator of the Mark D’ Ball Basketball Championship, Igoche Mark, to remain committed to the development of basketball in Nigeria.

Shaibu made the call on Monday in Abuja when he received Mark, who visited the institute to assess basketball coaches currently undergoing training under his sponsorship.

“I want to thank you for stopping by to see some of our students. I am told that you are sponsoring quite a number of them, and I am confident that this partnership will yield results,” Shaibu said.

The NIS boss stressed the need for greater private-sector participation in sports development, noting that dependence on government funding alone was no longer sustainable.

“We have positioned the NIS to be private sector-driven, and that is how it should be. Over-reliance on government funding is no longer sustainable,” he said.

Shaibu described the NIS as the “engine room of sports”, saying the institute plays a critical role in developing human capacity across the sporting ecosystem.

“For us at the NIS, we understand that this institute is the engine room of sports. It is responsible for the empowerment of the sporting ecosystem. Anyone working in the sports sector is supposed to pass through here for training.

“I thank you for what you have done for basketball, and I plead with you: do not give up on basketball,” he added.

Earlier, Mark commended Shaibu for the transformation recorded at the NIS, describing the development as a reflection of the DG’s track record in sports administration and development.

“We were here in 2022, but coming here today and seeing the level of transformation, I am not surprised. Knowing what you did in Edo, I know that excellence has always been part of you. With people like you in this country, there is hope because you turn things around,” Mark said.

He explained that his visit was primarily to monitor the progress of the basketball coaches undergoing training at the institute.

“I came here today to see the basketball coaches undergoing their training programme. I believe this is the first time we are having such a large number here — 20 students.

“I came to encourage them. These were players before, and now they are transitioning into coaching. But without proper certification, they cannot function on the international scene because you cannot sit on the bench without it,” he said.

Mark said he was committed to strengthening his partnership with the NIS to improve the quality of coaching in Nigerian basketball.

“I am here to partner with the NIS and see how we can upscale their knowledge. The Mark D’ Ball Championship will soon launch an academy, and we will need these coaches. We will also explore how we can partner further and engage FIBA going forward,” he added.

Shaibu also disclosed that the NIS had expanded its operations through the establishment of six zonal centres, with one located in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

According to him, the Abuja and Lagos centres will oversee degree-awarding programmes, while the zonal centres will offer Advanced Diploma and Diploma programmes. State centres, he added, will focus on basic certificate programmes.

He further revealed that the institute had introduced weekend programmes, while executive online classes are expected to commence next year.

Mark, meanwhile, encouraged the coaches to maximise the opportunities provided by the NIS, assuring them of his continued support and sponsorship for further training programmes.

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