ASABA, Nigeria — Delta State Sports Commission Director General Festus Ohwojero praised the federal government’s decision to re-establish the National Sports Commission (NSC), calling it a crucial step for Nigeria’s sports development. Ohwojero shared his thoughts with journalists in Asaba, highlighting the potential for streamlined funding and strategic planning under the new structure.
“The establishment of the National Sports Commission will remove bottlenecks in the sports sector, especially concerning the prompt release of funds for preparations and execution of various sporting events,” Ohwojero stated. He noted that the commission could develop a comprehensive blueprint for sports, ensuring continuity across administrations—something he said the Ministry of Sports has struggled to achieve.
Ohwojero argued that the NSC’s autonomy would allow experts and technocrats with deep sports knowledge to lead, unlike the current ministry structure, where key positions may go to individuals without sports expertise. “The era of National Sports Commissions in the past saw rapid sports development, whereas the Sports Ministry era has coincided with a remarkable decline,” he asserted.
Delta State’s own success in Nigerian sports, Ohwojero said, is owed to its establishment of a state-level sports commission in 2008, which has fostered growth and continuity by building on the achievements of successive boards. He encouraged the federal government to appoint genuine sports technocrats to the NSC, regardless of religious, ethnic, or political backgrounds.
Former Nigerian hurdler and Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) board member Victor Okorie echoed this sentiment, saying from his base in the U.S. that placing sports professionals in charge would accelerate progress. “With sports professionals taking charge from their respective disciplines, things ought to move better and faster,” Okorie said.
The return of the NSC, Ohwojero and Okorie agree, is a timely intervention for a more structured, efficient, and forward-looking sports administration in Nigeria.
