Nigeria’s sports community gathered in Lagos on Monday for the maiden Big Sports Dialogue (BSD) 1.0, delivering a collective warning that the country risks falling further behind the world if deep structural reforms are not implemented quickly, consistently and transparently.
But while speakers outlined ambitious plans and defended ongoing changes, some participants and several observers quietly questioned whether the renewed promises would translate into real action or become yet another cycle of bold declarations without follow-through.
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‘Today begins the journey back’ — Ebueku
Chairman of the Organising Committee, Osaze Ebueku, opened the event with a frank assessment of the country’s sports decay, insisting the gathering was designed to confront old failures head-on.
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“This dialogue became necessary to speak truth to power. Nigerian sports have strayed too far. Today begins the journey back,” he said.
He later praised the seriousness of the conversations:
“We are encouraged by the dialogue’s outcomes and the unwavering resolve of those driving change in the sector. The discussions showed a collective commitment to elevating Nigerian sports from a pastime to a powerful economic engine.”
Yet even as he spoke, some attendees noted that Nigeria has held several such “turning points” over the past two decades, with many fading before producing tangible change.
Convener Aron Akerejola emphasised the meeting’s purpose: to reset the sector.
“We are diligently crafting a roadmap for the development of sports in Nigeria,” he said. “This document will outline concrete actions and milestones that stakeholders can rally behind as we push Nigerian sports to the next level.”
Dikko defends new sports commission, but concerns persist
While also representing President Bola Tinubu at the event in Lagos, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, defended the government’s decision to scrap the Sports Ministry.
“It’s no longer business as usual,” he said.
“We insisted that every Federation must include women. We created a proper reward system. We are cleaning up the sector, and more is coming.”
The reforms he cited were applauded, but they also raised hard questions.
If “business as usual” has ended, several experts asked why many federations still struggle with transparency, why athlete welfare remains unreliable, and why grassroots structures remain largely dormant.
Some also questioned whether the Commission has the requisite ideas to deliver lasting results that would change the face of Sports holistically, beyond merely hustling for participation in international competitions.
Women lead the medal table — but not the agenda
Aisha Falode, Mitchell Obi, Aderonke Atoyebi and Olisa Adibua, who were on the first panel session, did not mince words on the neglect of women’s sports.
The panel wondered why women who bring home the honours are often afterthoughts in policies and media visibility, despite carrying the country.
Their submission resonated strongly, highlighting a more profound contradiction: Nigeria celebrates female athletes when they win medals, yet offers them little structural support in terms of funding, equal opportunities, or media visibility.
Despite new policies mandating women on federation boards, critics say representation alone does not guarantee real influence.
Systemic reform: the hard truths
Mr Adibua went further, issuing a stark critique of the sports ecosystem. “Sports and media in Nigeria have barely scratched the surface. Our system is broken. We need a purposeful, intentional framework that builds from the grassroots to the national level. We cannot rely on scouting players abroad; we must invest in local talent development and structured feeder systems. The rest of the world has moved ahead because they planned properly—if we do not, we are left behind,” he said.
Old failures admitted — but the pace of repair questioned
In a panel featuring Mr Dikko, NIS DG Philip Shaibu, former NFF President Amaju Pinnick and GTI’s Nelson Ineh, speakers admitted what many Nigerians already know: the old sports system collapsed under weak planning and minimal accountability.
Mr Shaibu described the National Institute for Sports as a “shadow of itself,” with abandoned facilities, such as the Athlete Development Centre in Abuja, symbolising decades of neglect.
He said a 10-year reform document and new zonal offices would rebuild the institution.
But experts warned that Nigeria’s challenge has never been the absence of plans—it is the refusal or inability to execute them.
‘Remove him’ — call for accountability meets political reality
A more forceful debate emerged from the panel featuring Larry Izamoje, Itiako Ikpokpo, Rivers Commissioner Chris Green, and former Lagos governor Babatunde Fashola (whose submission was displayed virtually as he wasn’t physically present).
“Fix welfare, fix infrastructure, fix grassroots. And if a Federation President cannot bring in sponsors—REMOVE HIM.” Mr Ikokpo declared in his blunt submission
READ ALSO: President Tinubu to declare open Big Sports Dialogue 1.0 in Lagos
The call drew applause, but some noted the political reality: many federation presidents are backed by powerful interests that do not respond to performance metrics. Without independent oversight, critics say, such recommendations may remain theoretical.
Unlocking the money question — the biggest hurdle still looms
The final panel, led by sports marketer Mike Itemuagbor and NSC DG Bukola Olopade, argued that Nigerian sports could become a billion-naira industry if the right policies are in place.
“Sports is big business. Let Nigeria treat it like big business,” they said.
Tax holidays, rebates and investor protection were proposed, but the gap between policy intent and execution remains Nigeria’s oldest governance challenge.
The Big Sports Dialogue 1.0 produced some of the most direct public conversations on sports reform in recent years.
Still, the critical question remains: Will the promises survive Nigeria’s long history of abandoned reforms, or will the sector once again settle into familiar cycles of optimism followed by disappointment?
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