NIS Budget Jumps To N60bn After House Review

The House of Representatives Committee on Sports has increased the 2026 budget proposal of the National Institute of Sports, NIS, from N2.8 billion to about N60 billion, citing the need to reposition the institute for improved sports development.

Chairman of the committee, Kabiru Ahmadu said the decision followed consultations with the institute’s management and the leadership of the Budget Office of the Federation.

Mr Ahmadu commended the institute’s Director-General, Philip Shuaibu, for introducing reforms that he said had led to a turnaround in its operations noting that despite the non-release of capital funds in 2025, the institute recorded significant achievements.

He described the NIS as a critical pillar in Nigeria’s sports development and said inadequate funding had hindered its performance over the years.

Ahmed pledged the committee’s commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to improve funding.

Established in 1974, the NIS serves as Nigeria’s training and research center for sports development, with a mandate to produce coaches, sports administrators and technical personnel.
Presenting the institute’s proposal,

A former deputy governor of Edo State and the Director-General, Philip Shuaibu appealed for increased funding, noting that capital allocations for 2025 had not been released.

He said that more than five decades after its establishment, the institute lacked a clear development framework until his administration introduced a 10-year strategic plan aimed at repositioning it.

Shuaibu linked Nigeria’s recent struggles in international sports competitions to what he described as the institute’s long-standing dysfunction, adding that efforts were underway to rehabilitate the Athletes Development Centre.

He also called for the speedy constitution of the board of the National Sports Commission, saying it would provide strategic direction and institutional stability for long-term growth in the sector.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji