12/5/2025
For first time in Nigeria’s sports administration in recent years, Olympics and elite athletes are being paid training grants at the start of the year.
The National Sports Commission said it changed the narrative based on its desire to see Nigeria achieve results in international games and also see the rapid development of sports in the country.
According to NSC director-general Bukola Olapade the issue of training grants is something the administration takes seriously and have gone out of its way to sources for private sector funds to ensure athletes get motivated to train and compete squarely with their other counterparts abroad.
“The funds for the grants that was paid was sought from the private sector…government has not put a dime,” said Mr. Olapade.
“The NSC chairman Shehu Dikko and I are doing everything we can to see that our athletes are adequately prepared for international competitions, we are not going there just to participate and win.”
Also speaking NSC Elite Athletes Development & Podium Board CEO, Yusuf Alli added that there was no wasting of time in passing the grants to the athletes concerned.
“There was no time wasted distributing the funds to the athletes. This is the right time to pay the grants to aid their training, and we expected the athletes to reciprocate, work harder to achieve results.
“We have begun the process since February and it is still on-going,” Alli a former African long jump champion said.
