1 week ago
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The Director-General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Comrade Philip Shaibu, has reaffirmed his dedication to restoring the institute to its presumption arsenic a premier grooming constitution for coaches and elite athletes, not lone successful Nigeria but crossed Africa. He made the committedness portion speaking to journalists pursuing his authoritative resumption of duties astatine the NIS successful Abuja, yesterday.
Comrade Shaibu, who has been moving remotely since his assignment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu owed to the dilapidated conditions of the office, lamented that the NIS, which was inspired by palmy Australian Institute model, has been allowed to deteriorate nether the stewardship of erstwhile sports ministers.
“It is disturbing to spot an institute that should beryllium astatine the forefront of sports improvement successful Nigeria successful specified a authorities of disrepair,” helium remarked. “I was tasked with the ngo to alteration NIS and reconstruct it arsenic a centre of excellence, not conscionable for Nigeria, but for the full of Africa. The founding imaginativeness for this institute was so global, aimed astatine nurturing top-notch coaches and athletes.”
Shaibu described his visits to NIS office successful Lagos, noting that conditions successful Lagos were peculiarly dire. “In Lagos, I was shocked to find a histrion increasing In the mediate of a tennis court. This exemplifies the neglect the institute has suffered,” helium said.
He highlighted that the diminution was not solely the responsibility of the unit astatine the institute. “I judge the Ministry of Sports indispensable instrumentality work for 60 to 70 percent of the decline. Previous ministers failed to prioritise the NIS, contempt its captious relation successful sports development. The constitution of the Abuja Athletes Development Centre by erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo was intended to centralise resources for grooming crossed each 37 sports successful Nigeria.”
Shaibu besides pointed to the underutilised facilities astatine NIS, including a 200-bed, self-contained accommodation designed for athletes. “We could accommodate up to 800 athletes present without the request for outer arrangements. Unfortunately, officials similar to person athletes bid abroad, wherever it benefits their interests alternatively than what is advantageous for Nigeria,” helium added.
He expressed his dismay astatine the existent authorities of NIS and linked his efforts to the government’s ‘Renew Hope Agenda’. “This is simply a challenge, and I clasp it. My extremity is to revive NIS and guarantee it becomes the starring centre of excellence not conscionable for Nigeria, but for Africa,” helium concluded, noting that the facilities astatine NIS are unparalleled connected the continent, arsenic highlighted by a caller sojourn from officials from Tunisia.
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