Скачать или смотреть NIS DG, RT. HON. COMRADE PHILIP SHAIBU INSPECTS SOUTH-SOUTH ZONAL OFFICE IN BENIN

...says Benin training center opens in April


The Director-General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, on Friday, January 23, 2026 concluded his 3-day working visit to his state, Edo with inspection of the facility donated by Edo State government to serve as South South training center for the National Institute For Sports.

The NIS boss and former deputy Governor of Edo State was conducted round the building known as the Indoor Sports Hall at Etete, GRA Benin by the management team of the Edo state Sports Commission led by the Permanent Secretary Mrs Patricia Efe-Amenze.

Other top officials of the Sports Commission on the tour of facilities included the Executive Director, Sports Development and Operations Mrs Sabina Chikere and the Executive Director, Edo South Coach Baldwin Bazuaye,MON.

The NIS DG said that the visit was to assess the level of readiness of the facility ahead of the commencement of operations in April.

Shaibu explained that the inspection was carried out jointly with officials of the Edo State Sports Commission as part of their collaborative effort to strengthen sports development in the state and the South-South region, noting that the facility is still solid but however pointed out areas that require immediate repairs and upgrade.

I'm in Benin to inspect the facility in preparation for the opening of the NIS South South zonal office in Edo State.

You will recall that as part of the recommendation of the committee that I set up on assumption of office, is to return NIS to it's core mandate in line with the new hope agenda of Mr president. The 10 years development plan has it that we should decentralize NIS and have zonal offices and training centers scattered around the country in order to capture the grassroots fully.

In the next four years, with our plans,all the 36 states of the federation and Abuja would have NIS offices. The reason is to take sports development programme to the grassroots because it is the best way for Nigeria with the abundance of talents to take it's right position as giant of Africa. We need to bridge the gap in qualified coaches for the country. We are also going to collaborate with the referees association to train referees. "

“We are in a hurry to start our programmes, and I hope that before staff resumption, the facility will be ready. I have been to other states, Ogun is ready, Taraba is ready, Enugu and Plateau are also ready, all thanks to their state governments and sports commissions.”

Shaibu also revealed plans to bring the College of Physical and Health Education, Afuze, into active use through collaboration with the Edo State Government.

“We are in a hurry to do this because we must train our athletes across all 42 sports at the basic level. Our games masters and coaches need foundational training. You don’t build champions without strong basics. We are starting with three months basic courses and later offer higher courses."

On sports infrastructure, Shaibu strongly criticized the culture of building facilities without a corresponding maintenance culture..

“I will not support the Federal Government wasting resources on sports facilities without first preparing our sportsmen and women on maintenance culture,”.

“It is not enough to build beautiful facilities.” he said