By Ogochukwu Isioma
The Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports, Comrade Philip Shaibu, has lauded President Bola Tinubu for ending bureaucratic delays in sports funding.
Shaibu, in message he personally signed and addressed to Tinubu, said the president’s directive that all budgetary allocation for sports be released immediately after budget passage has totally eradicated the bottleneck encountered by Nigerian sports.
”President Tinubu has broken yet another jinx as a jinx breaker, for his visionary and timely directive aimed at ending bureaucratic delays in sports financing in Nigeria,” he said. “This is a resounding Thank you message to you our amiable President.
“You have not only offered the platform for service but has also provided the enabling environment and tools which has been the missing link in the history of Nigeria sports,” Shaibu added.
The former Edo deputy governor thanked President Tinubu “for this milestone in Nigerian Sports funding,” a struggle which he said he was personally in the forefront that the bureaucratic method which has repressed the growth of sports be removed.
”I am indeed proud to be alive to witness this revolution in Nigeria sports”, the NIS DG continued. “The bold intervention by Mr. President will enhance the planning, execution and sustainability of sports programmes nationwide.
“Timely access to funds will ensure that critical sports infrastructure projects are completed as scheduled, training facilities are upgraded, and equipment is procured to meet international standards.
“The President’s order to review sports-related allocations currently dispersed across various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) will bring much-needed coordination, transparency and efficiency into sports administration,” Shaibu said.
According to him, “This restructuring will strengthen sports as a national institution, eliminate duplication of roles, and allow for more strategic investment in athlete development and capacity building.
”The National Institute of Sports (NIS) believes that this decision will reposition sports as a viable tool for youth empowerment, national unity, economic growth and global recognition. It also reinforces the Renewed Hope Agenda’s commitment to institutional reforms that deliver measurable outcomes.”