Reps increase NIS 2026 budget to N60 billion

The House of Representatives Committee on Sports on Wednesday increased the budget estimate of the National Institute of Sports (NIS) from N2.8 billion to about N60 billion

Chairman of the Committee, Kabiru Ahmadu who disclosed this said the committee, working with the management of the institute decid r to increase the budget estimate of the agency after due consultation with the leadership of the Budget Office of the Federation.

Ahmadu Commended the leader of the Institute for the innovations they have brought to bear on the institute that has led to a turn around , adding that to actualise the programmes of the institute, there was the need for adequate budgetary allocation.

He said the new Director-General of the Institute, Philip Shuaibu has turned around the fortunes of the institute, expanding it’s operations, adding that despite the none release of the capital funds for 2025, the institute was able to achieve so much .

He decried the poor funding of the institute, describing it as a critical pillar in national sports development.

Amadu emphasised the need for increased budgetary allocation to enable the NIS discharge its responsibilities effectively and pledged the committee’s commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to improve its funding for optimal performance.

The National Institute of Sports, established in 1974, serves as Nigeria’s premier training and research centre for sports development, with a mandate to produce qualified coaches, sports administrators, and technical personnel to drive excellence in the sector.

Presenting his budget estimate, the former Edo state Deputy Governor appeal for increased funding, adding that the total capital estimate for 2025 was not released.

He said 52 years after the establishment of the institute, it has no definite plan of action, pointing out that his management has finally out in place a 10 year plan that will reposition the institute.

He hinged the non performance of the nation’s sport in recent times to the lack of functionality of the institute stressing that his leadership is began the repositioning of the Athletes Development Centre which he said was an eye sore when he took over the institute.

He said said that the non functionality of the institute has made it impossible to develop the nation’s athletes, leaving the room for Children born outside the country to now take over representing the country at sporting events.

He reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to fulfilling its mandate of training manpower for the sports ecosystem and promoting grassroots sports development, stressing that inadequate funding remains a major constraint.

“Our mandate is to train manpower for the sports ecosystem and promote sports from the grassroots. But we cannot achieve this without adequate government funding. We need a budget that reflects our vision and mission to improve sports in Nigeria.”

The NIS boss commended President Bola Tinubu and the House Committee on Sports for their continued support but urged the speedy constitution of the board of the National Sports Commission, noting that it would play a critical role in revitalising the sector.

According to him, a properly constituted board would provide strategic direction and institutional stability necessary for long-term sports development.

Describing the NIS as the lifeline of sports development in the country, Shuaibu called for premium attention to the institute to enable Nigeria attain greater heights in local and international competitions.

He attributed the institute’s limited visibility across states of the federation to persistent underfunding, which he said has hampered its expansion and outreach programmes.