ABUJA — Former Minister of Sports and Special Duties, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, has spoken out on the persistent decline of Nigerian sports, attributing the nation’s repeated failures on the international stage to deep-seated over-politicisation, administrative decay, and a lack of professionalism.
Speaking on Thursday, September 17, 2026, during an academic and sports leadership engagement, the former minister highlighted that sports in Nigeria has been reduced to political patronage rather than being managed as a structured, high-value professional industry.
Prof. Adedoja’s critical assessment adds to growing national frustration following successive international disappointments, including medal-less outings at global tournaments and systemic administrative clashes between government authorities and sports federations.
Key Structural Issues Highlighted by the Former Minister
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Over-Politicisation of Governance: Adedoja condemned the practice of appointing sports administrators based on political connections rather than technical expertise, passion, or proven sports management credentials.
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Erosion of Grassroots and Academic Sports: He noted that Nigeria abandoned its foundational talent pipelines—such as NUGA (Nigerian Universities Games), school sports, and local community talent identification—relying instead on haphazard, last-minute preparations for international competitions.
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Institutional Neglect & Infrastructure Decay: The former minister decried the state of national sports facilities, pointing out that world-class infrastructure across the country has been left to dilapidate due to poor maintenance cultures and misallocated budgets.
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Call for Professionalisation & Autonomy: Adedoja urged the government to insulate sports administration from political interference, run federations as commercial entities, and collaborate closely with professional physical education bodies to build long-term high-performance frameworks.
