We’ve Revived NIS Training Programmes After 30 Years — Phillip Shaibu

The Director-General of the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Phillip Shaibu, has announced that the Institute has begun reviving its core training programmes after more than 30 years of inactivity, describing the move as a major step toward rebuilding Nigeria’s sports ecosystem.

Shaibu made the disclosure on Monday while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, revealing that the NIS recently conducted its first three-month coaching programme in three decades.

According to him, the programme was held in Abuja, with participants officially graduating on December 18, 2025.

“We had our first three-month coaching programme after 30 years in Abuja, and we graduated those students on December 18,” Shaibu said.

The NIS boss explained that the revival was made possible through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, which he said became necessary due to the deteriorated state of the Institute when he assumed office.

Shaibu noted that while the ideal model is for government to provide infrastructure and the private sector to manage operations, prevailing circumstances forced a reversal of that approach.

“I couldn’t wait because the state I met NIS was a reflection of how our sports sector is being treated,” he said.

He added that the decay at the Institute mirrors the uncertainty and disappointment Nigerians often experience during international sporting competitions.

Shaibu stressed that the National Institute of Sports plays a foundational role in Nigeria’s sports development, producing athletes, coaches, referees, and technical officials who sustain the entire sports value chain.

According to him, the Institute serves as the central training hub for the nation’s sports ecosystem, and its prolonged dysfunction has had far-reaching consequences.

“NIS is the critical sector that produces the players, coaches, and referees. It is the training institute for the sports ecosystem. So, when that system is not functioning, don’t expect anything better in Nigerian sports because the engine room for sports is not functioning,” the former Edo State deputy governor stated.

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