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The Need To Retain Three-Term Tenure for Sports Federation Presidents

Published

2 years ago

February 27, 2025

The debate over tenure limits for Presidents of Sports Federations in Nigeria has resurfaced, with some pushing for a reduction from the current three-term limit—set by the 2021 election guidelines—to just two terms.

While the call for reform may seem progressive on the surface, a deeper look reveals that maintaining the three-term structure is crucial for Nigeria’s long-term aspirations in global sports governance.

Experience and Influence Take Time
Leadership in international sports is not built overnight. Nigerian sports administrators require time to develop credibility, cultivate relationships, and gain the necessary influence to secure leadership positions at continental and global levels.

Two terms—typically spanning just eight years—are often insufficient for a federation president to make a significant mark beyond national borders. By the time they establish their presence and recognition within the African and international sports community, their tenure is nearly over, severely limiting their chances of ascending to influential global roles.

It is telling that only one Nigerian currently holds a continental sports presidency. While he is not a sitting federation president, his case is an exception rather than the norm. Strong-performing presidents, given adequate time, stand a far better chance of rising through the ranks and representing Nigeria on the global stage.

A Dubious Push for Change
Ironically, some of the loudest voices advocating for a two-term limit are individuals who previously held federation leadership positions for over 20 years. Their sudden shift in stance raises questions about the sincerity of their motives. If long tenures were beneficial during their time in office, why is it now a problem for others? This contradiction exposes a lack of moral justification for the push to shorten tenure limits.

Rather than restricting tenure, the focus should be on strengthening Nigeria’s sports electoral system. A well-structured process would ensure that non-performing presidents can be voted out, even after a single term, while high-achieving leaders are allowed to continue their impactful work.

Arbitrary tenure restrictions only serve to stifle progress and disrupt the continuity needed for meaningful international advancement.
The Risk of Weakening Nigeria’s Global Influence
Reducing the tenure limit would not only disrupt federation stability but also weaken Nigeria’s influence in world sports.

Many high-performing presidents would be cut off just as they begin to build strong international networks and gain recognition for leadership roles. This approach plays into the hands of competing nations that allow their sports administrators to rise through the ranks over extended periods, accumulating power and decision-making leverage on the world stage.

If Nigeria is serious about increasing its presence in global sports governance, we must empower our best leaders with the time and platform to compete effectively. A premature exit due to tenure restrictions only benefits our rivals while diminishing Nigeria’s standing in international sports politics.

The Way Forward: A Balanced Approach
While tenure limits should not be indefinite, a well-structured system must balance continuity with accountability. Federations with approved constitutions outlining tenure limits—whether two or three terms—should adhere strictly to their constitutional provisions. However, for federations without approved constitutions, the Ministry of Sports’ existing guideline of a three-term maximum should be upheld.

This approach ensures fairness while safeguarding Nigeria’s broader interests in global sports. Instead of imposing restrictive policies that undermine our potential, we should focus on building a transparent and effective electoral system that rewards performance, promotes stability, and secures Nigeria’s place in the corridors of international sports leadership.

Retaining the three-term tenure limit is not just about individual officeholders—it is about Nigeria’s future in global sports governance.

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Strategic Partnerships, Diaspora Investment and Improved Workforce Critical to Industrialization-DG RMRDC

Published

1 day ago

November 12, 2026

The Gleamer

By: Stella Azi and Adaora Adibe

The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, has called for a strategic shift from the exportation of raw commodities to domestic processing, manufacturing and value addition, declaring that Nigeria possesses enormous untapped raw material resources capable of driving industrialisation, creating jobs and strengthening the country’s economic competitiveness.

Prof. Ike-Muonso made this submission in a lecture titled Unlocking Nigeria’s Raw Material Value Chain for Industrialization, Manufacturing and Competitiveness, where he presented an extensive assessment of Nigeria’s resource endowments, industrial challenges and emerging investment opportunities across agricultural commodities, solid minerals and waste-based raw materials.

The lecture highlighted a combined US$2.65 trillion global market opportunity across 30 major raw material value chains, comprising 12 agricultural value chains valued at US$932 billion, 11 mineral value chains worth US$1.352 trillion and seven circular-economy value chains estimated at US$366 billion.

According to the RMRDC Boss, Nigeria must move beyond the traditional approach of extracting and exporting raw materials to building competitive domestic industries that transform these resources into intermediate products, industrial inputs and finished goods for local consumption and international markets.

He observed that the country’s manufacturing sector has struggled to sustain its 2014 peak, with its contribution to real Gross Domestic Product declining from 9.64 per cent in 2014 to 8.05 per cent in 2025, representing a 16.5 per cent decline. He also drew attention to the increasing cost of raw material imports, which rose to US$20.5 billion in 2025, approximately six times the 2020 level.

He explained that the growing dependence on imported industrial inputs exposes Nigerian manufacturers to foreign exchange volatility, increases production costs and weakens the competitiveness of locally manufactured products.

Prof. ke-Muonso stressed that the solution lies in developing domestic raw material value chains through deliberate investment in processing facilities, research and development, technology, infrastructure and stronger linkages between producers, processors and manufacturers.

He identified agriculture, solid minerals and industrial waste as three major resource platforms for Nigeria’s industrial transformation, stating the country’s significant production capacity and the enormous opportunities available for downstream processing.

Ike-Muonso noted that Nigeria produces over 63 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, making it the world’s largest producer, while also maintaining strong positions in cocoa, cashew, sesame, palm oil and cotton. However, more than 80 per cent of agricultural output leaves farms without adequate processing, resulting in the loss of significant economic value and industrial opportunities.

In the solid minerals sector, he identified more than 44 commercially viable minerals across over 500 locations, including lithium, gold, barite, bitumen, iron ore and high-grade limestone, describing them as strategic resources capable of supporting steel production, energy storage, electrification and advanced manufacturing.

The DG further drew attention to Nigeria’s industrial and agro-waste resources, noting that the country generates over 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually. He explained that agricultural residues, cassava peels, scrap metals, plastics and electronic waste could serve as important feedstock for bio-fertilisers, industrial chemicals, recycled polymers, energy production and other manufacturing applications.

In the agricultural sector, the DG identified cassava and industrial starch, cotton and natural textiles, natural rubber and elastomers, oil palm and oleochemicals, maize derivatives and cocoa processing as priority areas requiring increased investment.

He explained that processing agricultural commodities into industrial starch, sweeteners, textiles, technical rubber, specialty fats and other intermediate products would enable Nigeria to capture more value from its agricultural resources while reducing dependence on imported industrial inputs.

For the minerals sector, he highlighted crude oil-to-olefins and petrochemicals, lithium and energy storage, iron ore and steel, rare earth elements, bauxite and aluminium, and copper and electrification as strategic investment opportunities.

He particularly emphasised the importance of moving beyond mineral extraction into beneficiation, refining, battery precursors, industrial chemicals, metal fabrication and advanced materials production.

On the circular economy, Prof. Ike-Muonso identified electronic waste recovery, scrap metal recycling, plastic waste processing, agro-waste valorisation and battery recycling as emerging industrial opportunities.

He explained that transforming waste into productive industrial feedstock would not only reduce environmental pollution but also create new manufacturing industries, generate employment and reduce the importation of valuable industrial materials.

He noted that to address the structural challenges confronting raw material-based industrialisation, the DG highlighted the strategic interventions of the RMRDC, particularly the proposed 30% Value Addition Bill and the Nigeria Integrated Information Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products (NISSRAMP).

He described the 30% Value Addition Bill as an important policy instrument designed to encourage domestic processing of raw materials before export, strengthen local manufacturing capacity and guarantee access to essential raw materials for Nigerian industries, and NISSRAMP as a critical data infrastructure that would improve access to verified information on the availability, location and quality of raw materials.

According to him, the combination of appropriate policy instruments and reliable resource data would help de-risk investments, improve transparency and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s raw material sector.

He emphasised the importance of collaboration among government, academia and industry in developing bankable projects, sharing investment risks and accelerating the establishment of processing and manufacturing facilities.

Professor Ike-Muonso called on Nigerians in the diaspora and other local and international investors to take advantage of the opportunities available in Nigeria’s raw material sector.

He identified industrial processing parks, mineral beneficiation and refining, agro-industrial platforms, circular-material processing, industrial input manufacturing and enabling infrastructure as viable investment platforms.

He noted that diaspora investors could contribute beyond financial capital by bringing technology, international business networks, governance standards, technical expertise and access to global markets.

He maintained that Nigeria’s industrial transformation requires coordinated investment across the entire value chain, from raw material sourcing and aggregation to processing, manufacturing, certification and export development.

Professor Ike-Muonso stressed that the country’s industrial future would depend not merely on the volume of raw materials extracted but on the capacity to transform them into competitive products that meet domestic and international market requirements.

He maintained that developing local value chains would stimulate industrial growth, create employment opportunities, diversify exports, conserve foreign exchange and deepen Nigeria’s technological capabilities.

Through its strategic interventions, the RMRDC is positioning itself as a critical bridge between resource availability, investment opportunities and industrial competitiveness, with the ultimate objective of transforming Nigeria from a predominantly raw material exporting economy into a strong manufacturing and value-adding nation.

Ike-Muonso has demonstrated this since assumption of office as the Director General/ CEO RMRDC in the area of capacity building, improved working conditions, promotion of merit, and maintaining a conducive environment that rewards excellence, innovation and dedication. This is evident in his institution of RMRDC training school, reward for winners of the RMRDC innovation challenge among others.

His commitment has brought recognition both nationally and internationally: Al-Jazirah double honour awards as Public Servant /Government Agency of the year 2024-2025 and the recent election as the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Representative on the Board of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisations (WAITRO) is a attestation to his commitment.

Concluding the lecture, the DG charged staff, researchers, manufacturers and investors to see themselves as nation builders in the new era of raw materials-led industrialization.

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