…Says NSC board must be in place by the first quarter
…As DG/CEO, Comrade Philip Shaibu says it will improve training, infrastructure

The Nigerian Senate Committee on Sports on Thursday supported the significantly increased budget proposal for the National Institute of Sports (NIS) from ₦2.8 billion to approximately ₦60 billion in 2026 to enhance sports development.

Presenting the 2026 budget proposal, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the institute, H. E. Comrade Philip Shaibu, said the objectives of the institute is to support improved training, infrastructure, and preparations for international events.

Comrade Shaibu, who is the immediate past Deputy Governor of Edo State, solicited the support of the Legislature in achieving his mandate for the Institute.

The NIS Boss said the institute is also planning to train grassroots coaches on the basic knowledge and techniques of modern sports.

However, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Abdul Ningi, has promised to move a motion for the resuscitation of the Board of the National Sports Commission, saying that
The Commission should not be run like a one-man show.

The Senate Committee on Sports Chairman said that by the first quarter of this year, the Commission should have a board to run its affairs.

He added that there is no way Nigerian Sports can move forward without the National Institute for Sports.