Nigeria's recent failure to secure the 2030 Commonwealth Games hosting rights has sparked a crucial debate among sports stakeholders. Many see the loss not as a setback, but as a vital opportunity to refocus the nation's sporting priorities from costly mega-events to the foundational development of athletes.
The High Cost of Glamour Over Growth
Stakeholders argue that Nigeria has become obsessed with the prestige of participation and hosting, while neglecting the essential systems that produce elite competitors. The country boasts a history of hosting major events, including the African Games, the Africa Cup of Nations (co-hosted), and both the FIFA U-17 and FIFA U-20 World Cup finals. Yet, these spectacles have not translated into a sustainable pipeline of world-beating athletes.
Former Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, told The Guardian that sports have suffered "serious neglect and lack of investment at the grassroots." He highlighted the abandonment of critical development structures like secondary school games, university competitions, and even the National Sports Festival, which he revived in 2018. "This neglect has contributed in no small way to affecting our elite athletes' profile," Dalung stated.
A Broken System: Funding, Corruption, and Lost Talent
The roots of the decline are deep. Dalung pointed to "abysmal" federal sports budgets since 1999, equivalent to what some nations spend on a single tournament. This chronic underinvestment has crippled infrastructure from community to national levels.
Compounding the problem is a crisis of confidence. Dalung alleged that corruption in sports administration has driven away corporate bodies and wealthy individuals who once funded grassroots programs and scholarships. "They kept investing their money without a commensurate return," he explained, leading to a wholesale private sector withdrawal.
The consequences are stark. Nigeria has not won an Olympic boxing medal since 1996 in Atlanta. Qualifying for the FIFA World Cup is now a struggle. "We have administrators who don't plan... They wait for a few days before a qualifying event before assembling teams," Dalung alleged.
Charting a New Path: Policy, Governance, and Grassroots Focus
Experts agree that a return to global best practices is non-negotiable. Citing Peter Bramham's work on sports development, they emphasize the need for a coherent policy framework, structured processes, and effective practice focused on participation and performance.
Dr. Sadiq Abdullahi, a former African tennis champion, stressed that sports development is a continuum requiring all three tiers of government to contribute. He noted that the National Sports Commission (NSC), operational for about 14 months, has the tools to coordinate stakeholders but must adhere to the NSC Act of 2023.
A multi-pronged solution is proposed:
- The NSC must model best practices and enforce national sports policies.
- Power should be decentralized to six zonal centres to foster local talent discovery.
- National Sports Federations (NSFs) must demonstrate effective leadership, good governance, and be held accountable.
- NSFs must proactively source funds, and the private sector must be incentivized to return through transparency and accountability.
- A national coaching cadre must be established at all levels.
Abdullahi warned that "the perception of corruption undermines credibility," and until transparency is evident, corporate Nigeria will stay away. He advocates for a "hybridisation approach" where the NSC balances organizing competitions with a core mission of helping NSFs identify, develop, and nurture elite athletes from a young age.
The consensus is clear: Nigeria must stop seeing participation as an end in itself. The future of Nigerian sports lies not in the fleeting glamour of hosting rights, but in the patient, strategic, and honest work of building champions from the ground up.
