Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Shehu Dikko has revealed top plans to address problems of infrastructural development and maintenance which has plagued and torpedoed Sports advancement in Nigeria.
While speaking to the media, after the closing of Africa Running Conference, held recently in Lagos, at the Eko Hotels & Suites, with the theme: “Reshaping Running And Mass Participation in Africa: Embracing The Global Community”, Dikko highlighted some of the giant strides or efforts by the commission to get infrastructures working in the country.
According to the NSC boss, their 2026 budget has that as one of the major components or drivers of Sports economy which is in tandem or sync with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Infrastructural development and maintenance is key to our plans. If you check our 2026 budget, there’s a major component of getting infrastructure to work”, Dikko stated.
“These events we are hosting are all part of ensuring that the facilities are put to use and it will quickly drive infrastructural development”, he noted.
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He expressed satisfaction with their progress so far even though he admitted that there’s room for improvement and to do more.
“The President himself tweeted on his social media accounts the achievements in sports which clearly shows we are on track”, he emphasized.
“We can’t do it alone, which is why we’re luring our other partners to come in as well. For example, Ahmadu Bello stadium belongs to us but we partnered with the Kaduna state government and handed it over to them. Governor Uba Sani is doing a very good job to get it to speed. They almost destroyed the entire stadium, but now they’re rebuilding it with over N40b”, he stressed.
“The same thing we did with Obafemi Awolowo stadium in Oyo, Tafewa Balewa stadium Bauchi and even the national stadium in Lagos”.
Dikko also revealed that the commission is working to build not just major stadiums but equally smaller community infrastructures across the country.
“We are also canvassing and talking to private companies and multi- nationals to see what they can do in sports with their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)”.
