Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has thrown his weight behind the ongoing reforms at the National Institute for Sports (NIS), praising the institute’s nationwide expansion and pledging support for the training of coaches in Kaduna State.
Abbas also announced plans to sponsor 20 coaches from Kaduna State for training at the National Institute for Sports, with a commitment to increase the number to 25 coaches annually to strengthen coaching capacity and grassroots sports development.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the S.A. Media, Office of the Director General and Chief Executive Officer, National Institute for Sports, ADC Ben Ogbemudia.
According to the statement, the Speaker’s message was conveyed to the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports, Comrade Philip Shaibu, by his Senior Special Assistant and former President of the Kaduna State Football Association, Hon. Magaji Abdul Alhassan.
Alhassan said Abbas commended the institute’s decentralisation strategy, especially the establishment of zonal centres aimed at bringing coaching education and professional development closer to sports stakeholders across the country.
He noted that the Speaker described the inauguration of the North-West Zonal Centre in Kaduna as a major milestone that would boost coaching education and accelerate sports development in the region.
Beyond the commendation, Abbas pledged to institutionalise the initiative by sponsoring 25 Kaduna coaches every year, describing the programme as a strategic investment in human capital development within the sports sector.
Reacting, Comrade Philip Shaibu thanked the Speaker for his confidence in the institute and his commitment to developing Nigerian sports.
According to Shaibu, the support from the leadership of the House of Representatives would further strengthen the institute’s efforts to expand access to quality coaching education and professional training across the country.
“This support will only inspire us to do more for the National Institute for Sports and for Nigerian sports in general.
“We sincerely appreciate the Speaker’s commitment to sports development and his investment in building the capacity of Nigerian coaches,” Shaibu said.
He reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to working with governments, sports administrators and other stakeholders to deepen grassroots sports development through improved coaching education and technical training.
Shaibu added that the National Institute for Sports would continue to produce highly skilled coaches while extending professional development opportunities to every part of Nigeria.
