President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for Sports has changed how Nigeria’s elite athletes prepare for major games and championships. Unlike in the past—when training grants were either unpaid or disbursed only days before competitions or during events—the NSC, under Chairman Shehu Dikko, Director General Bukola Olopade, and the Elite and Podium Board, has begun paying grants for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics three years ahead of the Games, Olukayode Thomas reports.

Introduction

Since becoming Governor of Lagos State in 1999, Bola Ahmed Tinubu—now President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces—has rarely done things by half measures. He has pursued his objectives with determination, regardless of the obstacles.

When he inherited a country grappling with insecurity and a comatose economy, this reporter was unsure how he would prioritise sports.

Under the previous administration, the sports budget was ₦8.906 billion.

Of this amount, ₦2.008 billion was allocated to personnel, ₦2.232 billion to overhead, and ₦4.664 billion to capital projects. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) received ₦1.28 billion.

The striking development for this reporter was the budget’s growth: from ₦8.9 billion in 2023 to ₦31.24 billion in 2024, approximately ₦94.9 billion in 2025, and ₦216.12 billion in 2026.

These figures do not include other interventions, particularly the ₦17 billion the Tinubu government provided to the NFF. That intervention alone exceeded the 2023 sports budget.

Unprecedented reward for athletes

But increased budgetary allocations were not the only way Tinubu sought to transform the sports industry. His rewards for athletes who have excelled while representing Nigeria have also been unprecedented.

The Super Eagles, who won silver at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), received national honours, a plot of land, and a flat each in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Super Falcons and D’Tigress, who won continental titles, also received generous rewards.

Each player received US$100,000, national honours, and a housing award. Members of the technical crew and backroom staff received US$50,000 each, along with national honours and houses.

Training grants and an athlete-friendly policy

For this reporter, the icing on the cake was the news that the NSC just disbursed about ₦300 million in quarterly training grants to more than 31 Nigerian elite athletes. The grants are part of efforts to strengthen the country’s preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

According to the NSC, it was the fifth payment since the quarterly training-grant policy was introduced in 2025 through the Elite and Podium Board—and the third disbursement in 2026.

The report also revealed that with this latest payment, the NSC has released more than ₦1 billion in training grants to Nigerian elite athletes over the past two years.

Eligible athletes receive quarterly grants of US$10,000, US$5,000, or US$3,000, depending on their performance and eligibility. The awards are based on scientific performance indicators established by the Elite and Podium Board.

The programme, the report said, is part of the NSC’s broader strategy to provide sustained support for elite athletes and improve Nigeria’s competitiveness at major international sporting events, particularly the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Beyond budgets and rewards

One cannot help but commend Tinubu’s proactive response to Team Nigeria’s failure to win a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

For the first time in decades, funds were released to Team Nigeria ahead of a major competition. Yet the team failed to win a single medal in Paris—the first time since the London 2012 Games.

The camp was disorderly. Some athletes received their grants during the Games, while others were paid afterwards.

Nigerian sports journalists, known for their irreverence, and other members of the sports community called for the NSC’s return and for technocrats to run the industry.

Tinubu heeded their calls, re-established the NSC, and appointed Dikko as Chairman and Olopade as Director-General.

The duo hit the ground running, introducing major changes to address longstanding problems in the sports industry.

These initiatives include operationalising the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA); adopting an “Athletes First” policy that prioritises athletes’ welfare, development, and preparation; and establishing the Elite and Podium Board.

The NSC has also established the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative, renewed collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education to develop school sports from primary through tertiary levels, and launched the Renewed Hope for Nigeria’s Sports Economy (RHINSE) campaign to position sports as a catalyst for economic growth.

Other measures include introducing chief operating officers across sports federations to improve professionalism, accountability, and transparency, and establishing the National Intermediate Games as a development platform connecting youth athletes with senior national teams.

Why the training grants matter

For this reporter, the payment of training grants is especially welcome because my first story was about the non-payment of training support.

I began reporting in May 1996. My editor at the time, Joseph Okujeni, sent me to the National Stadium to report on athletes’ preparations for the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

I spoke with the late Brown Ebewele, Cuban coach Jorge Diaz, and others, who painted a gloomy picture. I also visited the Games Village, where athletes complained about camp conditions.

The situation did not change at the Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, or Paris 2024 Games.

In my three decades as a sports reporter, this is the first time I have seen athletes receive grants three years before the Olympic Games.

For this reporter, it is good news that, after three decades, what has been a reproach for our athletes has been removed.

Yussuf Alli would have loved to rewind the clock.

Yussuf Alli, CEO of the Elite and Podium Board and board members are responsible for recommending athletes for training grants to Dikko and Olopade.

Alli said that he and his contemporaries could have ruled the world if they had received this kind of support while competing.

A former long jumper, Alli competed against some of the world’s best, including Carl Lewis and Mike Powell.

A former Commonwealth gold medallist and record-holder, and captain of Team Nigeria at numerous games and championships, Alli reached his peak at the 1983 World University Games in Edmonton, Canada. The Universiade was then as competitive as the Olympics and World Championships.

At the Games, Alli won gold in the long jump. Chidi Imoh won the 100 metres, Innocent Egbunike the 200 metres, Sunday Uti the 400 metres, and Ajani Agbebaku the triple jump.

With the 1984 Olympics approaching in Los Angeles, Americans feared Nigerians would dominate on home soil in events where they traditionally excelled. But that did not happen.

Apart from Egbunike and Uti, who won bronze in the 4 × 400-metre relay, the Nigerian athletes failed to reach the podium in their individual events. Alli explained why:

“If we had a leader like President Tinubu and leaders in sports like Dikko and Olopade, all of us would most likely have won medals. The field at the World University Games then was not radically different from the fields at major games and championships.

“After our success in Edmonton, meet managers from different parts of the world invited us to their races, and the money was good.

“Apart from Egbunike, most of us came from humble backgrounds, so we needed the money to meet our needs and support our friends and families. Meanwhile, my competitors, like Lewis and Powell, had major American corporations behind them. They could choose which meets to compete in and rest properly instead of overcompeting.

“I wish I could turn back the clock. If I had this kind of support for three years before a major games or championship, I would have ruled the world.

“And it’s not just me. It’s all the athletes of my era and those who came after us. Without institutional backing, Falilat Ogunkoya ran 49.10 seconds. Imagine if she had had the kind of support Marie-José Pérec had; she could have run 48.00 seconds in the 400 metres. With institutional backing, Egbunike could have broken the 400 metres world record several times and won countless gold medals.

“What about Chidi Imoh? Charity Opara, who ran 49.28 seconds; Fatimah Yusuf; Davidson Ezenwa; Olapade Adeniken; Mary Onyali; Adewale Olukoju; and others? We would have ruled the world. But I am happy for today’s young athletes, and I pray they make the most of this opportunity.”

NSC and Alli accused of favouritism

When told that the NSC and the board had been accused of favouring certain sports and individuals, Alli laughed and said:

“I am not surprised. Many Nigerians judge you by their own standards and assume you will do what they would do. But I thank God that performance in sports is like pregnancy: it cannot be hidden.

“The criteria we use to award training grants are transparent. We use the Hungarian Scoring Tables, which are used worldwide, and world rankings. The NSC and the Podium Board do not produce those rankings; the international governing bodies for each sport do.

“We constantly review the list based on recipients’ performances. An athlete in Category C can move to Category A or B based on performance, and vice versa.”

Some have accused the CEO of the Elite and Podium Board of including too many athletics competitors on the grant list. Many may not know that Alli was once a footballer.

Asked about the criticism, Alli laughed again and said:

“People are showing their limited understanding of how sports work. First, this is not a one-person board. I have members from other sporting backgrounds, including cycling, badminton, basketball, and football. In fact, my bosses, Dikko and Olopade, are football buffs.

“The truth is that we are investing in athletes who have the potential to reach the finals at the Olympics. If you look at the athletes with a chance of reaching the finals in LA 2028, the majority are in athletics. Then you look at wrestling and weightlifting. That is the truth.”

The facts support Alli’s argument.

Statistics from Team Nigeria’s participation in major games and championships support Alli’s argument.

The Olympics are the pinnacle of sport. Since Team Nigeria made its Olympic debut at Helsinki 1952, Nigerian athletes have reached more finals and won more medals than competitors in other sports. The figures speak for themselves:

Team Nigeria has won three Olympic gold medals; two came from athletics.

Of the eleven silver medals Nigeria has won, five came from athletics. Of the thirteen bronze medals, seven came from athletics. In total, Nigeria has won 27 Olympic medals: 14 in athletics, 3 in football, 6 in boxing, 2 in weightlifting, 1 in wrestling, and 1 in taekwondo.

Among the athletes who could reach the finals in LA 2028 are track-and-field competitors such as Tobi Amusan, Koyinsola Ajayi, Samuel Ogazi, Nathaniel Ezekiel, and others.

The Podium Board is for elite—not developing—athletes

Alli reiterated that the Podium Board is intended for elite athletes, not developing ones. He appealed to state and local governments to invest in grassroots sports, noting that the Federal Government cannot do it alone.

He also urged Nigerian companies to go beyond sports promotion and follow Oluyomi Adeyemi-Wilson's lead. As external affairs director at Mobil Producing Nigeria, Adeyemi-Wilson supported Chioma Ajunwa and Charity Opara for many years—a contribution that helped them win medals at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.

Alli recalled:

“The unsung hero behind Ajunwa’s winning Nigeria’s first Olympic gold medal and Charity Opara’s winning a silver in the 4 × 400-metre relay was Adeyemi-Wilson. Segun Odegbami took them to Adeyemi-Wilson, and Mobil supported them during the dark days. I am appealing to our corporate bodies to emulate Adeyemi-Wilson and Mobil.”

In conclusion, Alli argues that Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for Sports, implemented by Dikko and Olopade, has laid a new and solid foundation for Nigerian sports. He appealed to Nigerians—especially state and local governments, as well as corporate Nigeria—to support the President in building a vibrant sports industry.