NIS DG Urges Protection of Sports Facilities, Opposes Political Rallies at Stadiums

NIS DG Urges Protection of Sports Facilities, Opposes Political Rallies at Stadiums

By Our Reporter 

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Philip Shaibu, has called for an immediate ban on political and religious activities at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja and other national stadiums across Nigeria.

Shaibu warned that the frequent use of sports facilities for non-sporting activities has significantly contributed to the deterioration of key sporting infrastructure nationwide.

According to him, stadiums were originally constructed to support the training, retraining and development of Nigerian athletes and should be preserved strictly for sporting purposes.

The NIS chief expressed concern that the continued misuse of these facilities has left the country with very few stadiums capable of meeting international standards. He noted that the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo currently remains the only stadium in Nigeria that fully meets the requirements of FIFA for hosting international football matches.

Reflecting on his tenure as Deputy Governor of Edo State, where he oversaw sports administration and the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Shaibu said deliberate measures were taken to maintain the facility, particularly the athletics track, which was still under warranty with the contractor at the time.

However, he explained that the situation changed following disagreements with the former governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki. According to Shaibu, the stadium was later approved for a homecoming concert by Nigerian music star Rema.

He said the event allowed heavy vehicles and equipment onto the stadium’s pitch and athletics track, causing damage to the facility and breaching the contractor’s warranty agreement.

“Today, the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium can no longer host international matches unless major remediation works are carried out,” Shaibu said.

He therefore urged the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to collaborate with the NIS to protect and restore sports infrastructure across the country.

Shaibu also renewed his call for the immediate reconstitution of the board of the National Sports Commission to strengthen the management, maintenance and preservation of sports facilities nationwide.

He stressed that protecting sports infrastructure is vital for the future of Nigerian youth, noting that sports remain a key platform for youth empowerment and national unity.

According to Shaibu, the vision of Bola Ahmed Tinubu for youth development and sports growth in Nigeria can only be realised if sports facilities are treated as strategic national assets.

He added that safeguarding stadiums and investing in sports development would help nurture young talents while restoring Nigeria’s competitiveness and pride in international sporting competitions.