The National Sports Commission (NSC)Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, held a strategic engagement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, on Friday, May 29, aimed at boosting integrity and ethical practices in Nigerian sports administration and across the entire ecosystem.
Speaking during the engagement held at the EFCC headquarters, Mallam Dikko reiterated the reasoning behind the establishment of the National Sports Commission, the Strategic vision Objectives and the projected outcomes as well as the the achievements to date.
His words, “In October 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR took the bold decision to scrap the Sports Ministry and set up National Sports Commission so as to change the entire sporting ecosystem, harness the potentials of sports economy and make sports one of the key drivers of the economy. We had been too focused on participation in international competitions spending so much funding to the detriment of the domestic sports ecosystem and winning little so there was a need to reset and restructure the sector which was the anchor of Mr. President’s decision. Infact, the very day the President set up the NSC, the National Assembly had called for a state of emergency in Nigerian sports.
“Thus when we came on board we developed a clear strategic plan of action and set up the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria Sports Economy (RHINSE) framework with three pillars of reset, refocus and relaunch to meet the mandate of the President. This means that sports is now treated as a national asset. Being an asset, the sector should contribute at least 3% of the nation’s GDP annually, create millions of jobs, attract Investment and generally be a driver of economic advancement across several sectors. Therefore sports is now beyond the competitions. It has to be clean and ethical so as to attract and sustain investors.”
In the light of the President’s mandate, the NSC Chairman buttressed the need to upscale integrity and clean up any unethical deficits in the sporting sector and make it attractive to investors.
“This is why the President speedily assented to the Nigeria Antidoping Bill into law which had been in the works for over 20 years but under the watch of the President it was duly concluded. This consequently set up the National Antidoping Center, all geared towards making sports clean and ensure Nigeria is compliant to the global benchmarks. We have also set up the NSC Independent Sports Integrity Board to ensure that there is integrity and compliance in the sector and be a preventative tool against any unethical practices. We have therefore come to collaborate with the EFCC to this effect among others”, he added.
The NSC chairman further appealed to the EFCC Chairman to keep supporting the EFCC Football Club and promised to provide any strategic support that may be needed to ensure that the club returns to its glorious heights.
In his response, the EFCC Executive Chairman Mr. Ola Olukoyede applauded the NSC Chairman and his team for the visible and positive change ongoing in the sector across all levels and making the sector attractive to investors.
He said, “I have seen changes. You have been changing the face of sports in Nigeria very drastically. Corporate bodies are now willing to come around to support and sponsor sporting activities in the country. We are monitoring the development.
“So I welcome this collaboration. There is no doubt that you have taken sports from the realm of just being sports to that of a national asset, something that adds value to our economy. Now we are seeing sports as something all of us can support. We are ready to work with you and create a desk that will liaise with you. I wish you more success,” he said.
He pledged the Commission’s collaboration and support to the efforts of the NSC in the restructuring and reforms of the sector.
“We always want to engage in the spirit of working together. As you would have known, the EFCC has had cause to investigate some of your predecessors and some of the case files are still alive. I think there is the need for us to work together. If there are things that we need to prevent, we have to prevent them before they lead to what will attract investigations,” he said.
He continued, “We now have a department, called the Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, FRAC, basically set up for prevention purposes. That department will work with you so that we can set up our fraud risk compliance template for your Commission on those things that you have to watch out for in the areas of procurement, contract award and management of funds.
“In the time past, some of the funds we earned from international bodies were mismanaged and we wouldn’t want such to repeat itself anymore. Some of the contracts you have signed and MoUs would also be part of it, particularly for your new agency, the National Anti-doping Agency.”