Senate, House Committees on Sports Commend Tinubu for Prioritising Sports, Hail NSC Leadership

Duro Ikhazuagbe

The Senate and House Committees on Sports after reviewing the National Sports Commission’s budget performance for 2025, applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritising sports and also giving it an unprecedented support with the approval for the implementation of the first line charge funding for the sector from the 2026 budget.

The leadership of the NSC defended the 2026 budget of the commission before the sports committees of both houses on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th February in Abuja.

In their opinions, for sports to record tremendous success, there was a need for the type of intervention provided by the President to reset the sector and put it on a sustainable path of growth.

Senate Sports Committee Chairman,   Sen. Abdul Ningi, said, “Since 1999, no President in Nigeria has shown real intention in prioritising sports than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

“Sports shouldn’t be funded like other sectors and must be devoid of bureaucratic bottlenecks. You need funds ahead of time. If the Commonwealth Games is due, it will not wait for you to provide funds. The Games will go ahead. So sports funds should be in advance,” observed the Senate Sports Committee chairman.

Earlier on Wednesday, the House Committee on Sports Chairman, Hon. Kabiru Ahmadu, observed that the President’s recent granting of approval giving directives for adequate budget for sports and for the implementation of the first line charge funding for sports is a testament to how seriously President Bola Tinubu takes sports as well as an endorsement of the industry of the NSC leadership.

NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, observed that the President’s current approval directing adequate funding provision for sports and first line charge funding for sports to avert delays in releases will motivate the Commission to record more giant strides in sports.

He said, “The President’s unprecedented position on sports will effectively solve the problem of non-release of funds.

“Stable Funding is critical in sports. Whether the funds are released or not, the championships will go on,” observed the NSC chief.

Dikko revealed that Nigeria won 375 medals in all sports last year.

“In 2025, we recorded 375 medals across all sports. Almost all Federations were supported for tournaments abroad in addition to normal domestic programmes and events. We supported about 50 contingents across all sports  for international tournaments and only two came back without medals. The prompt release of funds will even jerk up these figures and would ensure we upscale our infrastructure in record time.

Both committees of the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly unanimously approved the NSC 2026 budget. And in order to sustain the visible progress and ongoing reset in sports, they undertook to advocate and work with the relevant committees and executive  for additional funds  for the commission in line with its original budget proposals of N460b.