NDE DG, PAACA, others hail Tinubu for appointing Shaibu as NIS boss

The new Director General of the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Comrade Philip Shaibu, has been urged to bring transformative leadership to the institution by prioritizing transparency, innovation, and accountability.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was also commended for appointing the former Edo State deputy governor to the position, with the expectation that he will transform the institute.

The call was made at a special event organized by civil society leaders, friends, and former student unionists to celebrate the newly appointed Director General.

Speakers at the event, held in Abuja, congratulated Shaibu on his appointment and expressed strong confidence in his ability to bring fresh ideas and renewed energy to the National Institute of Sports.

They noted his bold track record in leadership and described him as someone with the courage and political will to confront entrenched corruption and mismanagement in the system.

They further urged him to launch comprehensive reforms aimed at reviving grassroots sports development, improving the institute’s facilities, and restoring credibility to its training and certification programmes.

Speaking to journalists at the event, Chief Ezenwa Nwagwu, Executive Director of the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), described Shaibu as someone who understands the deep-rooted issues within Nigeria’s sports sector.

Nwagwu emphasized that beyond reforms, leadership at the institute requires someone bold enough to challenge vested interests.

He said, “What Philip will bring is courage to dismantle the architecture of corruption that our sports environment has been known for.

“That capacity to disrupt for results, for better outcomes, is what our country should look forward to. He already has a clear idea of how he wants to reposition the institute for the better.”

Also speaking, Professor Abubakar Kari, Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Abuja, praised the appointment, noting that Shaibu would bring fresh thinking and reform-oriented leadership.

“He will bring new ideas and an agenda to improve sports in the country generally, and lead the transformation of the National Institute of Sports,” he said.

He added that Shaibu’s blend of political experience and passion for sports makes him well-suited for the job.

The Director General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Silas Agara, who was also present at the event, described Shaibu’s appointment as well deserved and expressed optimism in his leadership.

“Philip is one gentleman that I know is coming with value,” he stated.

“He is going to put in his best to revive the place. I have seen his 10-year roadmap and I have absolute confidence that if it is implemented, it will change the entire face of the sports industry in Nigeria. The signature of what he can do is already seen in the sports infrastructure in Edo State. Mr. President made the right choice.”

Meanwhile, the new Director General, Comrade Philip Shaibu, expressed appreciation to the organisers of the event for their support and warm reception.

He assured stakeholders that he is fully committed to reforming the National Institute of Sports and repositioning it to deliver on its core mandate.

Shaibu, while outlining his immediate priorities and vision for the institute, disclosed that he had spent his first few weeks assessing the state of the NIS and had identified major gaps—particularly the absence of a long-term development plan.

He said, “There are a lot of things we are going to be doing to drive sports development in the country. We are an institute and engine room with the responsibility of training and developing the managers of Nigeria’s sports ecosystem—beyond the training of coaches.”

He continued, “Without lamenting, what I have simply done is to come up with what I call: Road Map – A 10-Year Strategic Plan to Reposition NIS to Achieve Its Core Mandate. I constituted a 32-man committee to scrutinize the document, make their input, and redesign a curriculum for the school. Obsolete courses will be taken out, and courses that truly reflect our mandate and the realities of sports today will be introduced.”

Shaibu also emphasized the need to rebuild the institute’s crumbling infrastructure and rethink its funding model.

“All the facilities there before now are down. We need to rebuild them, and after that, bring in the private sector to drive sustainability. It’s going to be a public-private partnership. We did it in Edo State, and it worked. Sports needs instant money — not the slow bureaucracy of government. If we leave sport to that system, we’ll keep lamenting,” he said.

The Director General explained that part of his assignment, as directed by President Bola Tinubu, is to fundamentally reform the National Institute of Sports and restore it to its original purpose of producing highly qualified coaches for Nigeria and across Africa.

He noted that the institute once enjoyed a strong reputation on the continent and emphasized the need to rebuild that credibility.

According to him, the goal is to ensure that the NIS certificate once again becomes a symbol of excellence, signifying the competence and quality of its graduates—both coaches and athletes.