From ministry to NSC: No silver bullet for sports’ woes

The routine scrapping of the Federal Ministry of Sports and replacing it with the National Sports Commission (NSC) and vice versa has not bode well for sports development in the country. This explains why some doubt that the NSC’s return is the silver bullet needed to address years of mismanagement of the sector, writes GOWON AKPODONOR.

Every epoch has its defining moments for men and women who shape history, either for good or for bad.

History is replete with stories of man struggling to attain perfection through changes in routes to the desired goal. This explains why countries swap one system of administration for another in search of that which, they believe, would facilitate their attainment of stipulated goals.

Nigeria’s search for a system that would solve the legion of niggling problems hampering its sports development efforts has been on since the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government scrapped the National Sports Commission (NSC) in 2015 and replaced it with the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development.

While the clamour lasted, stakeholders made a case for the return of the NSC, which they believe is better equipped to deal with the country’s peculiar sports development issues. The call became even louder after the country’s dismal performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Team Nigeria returned from empty-handed.

On October 23, 2014, their prayers were answered when President Bola Tinubu scrapped the Ministry of Sports Development and brought back the NSC. But even with the return of the NSC, many still believe that the commission may not be the answer to the country’s numerous sports development problems.

According to the pessimists, ensuring that the various sports development policies are fully