By Aderonke Ojo
The Director General of the National Institute for Sports, Comrade Philip Shaibu says the Institute is on a pedestal to become a world class institution.
He stated this on Thursday during the convocation of the 2025 Basic certificate coaching course ceremony held at the NIS premises inside the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Comrade Shaibu noted that NIS has established necessary steps towards achieving a global standard including rijjing courses.
”we are still struggling to be on the ground even with what we’ve done that people termed a success. For me, we have not solidified the foundation yet. But the good news is that we have set up a 10-year working plan that will actually reposition the NIS to a global institute, which we transform into the university and the starting point are the processes I have cleaned up.” He said.
”These processes are critical to achieve anything and we have established processes, programmes and a road map to achieve it. We are dealing with it. The curriculum changes, the course revitalization, we’ve cleaned up the basics. We are going to the certificate, the diploma before we go to the degree.” Shaibu concluded.
During his good will message, Benue state Football Association chairman, Chief Barrister Paul Edeh approved of Shaibu saying he has proven to be fruitful in his assignment.
”What you have done today reminds me typically of what Benue people represent,
which is the food basket of the nation.
We are a farming state. And when you farm, you do not see the seeds coming in until a certain period in time when the rain have set in. I’m happy that this is your first farming season that you are harvesting the first crop of graduates today. And this goes a long way to show the kind of person you are.” Edeh explained.
One of the participants, Coach Abdulwahab Bello of Kapital Waves who commended the NIS for a thorough and robust programme said it will help the coaches a great deal in the development of grassroots sports development
About 474 coaches from across Nigeria and some African countries were awarded with a Basic coaching Certificate by the Institute in Lagos and Abuja.
Dignitaries present at the convocation include Chairman National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr .Mohammed Sanusi, Senior Special Assistant to the President Tinubu on Grassroots Sports Development, Adeboye Adeyinka and President of the Sports Writer’s Association of Nigeria, Comrade Isaiah Benjamin amongst others.