The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye, has called on the private sector to support the National Grassroots Sports Development Summit 2026. The summit, scheduled for November 18 and 19 at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, aims to create a new pathway for sustainable grassroots sports development. Adeboye emphasized the need for practical outcomes from the summit, rather than just speeches.
Adeboye chaired a meeting of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) last week to review preparations for the summit. The MOC discussed stakeholder mobilisation, programme development, technical sessions, logistics, media and communications, and private-sector participation. Adeboye stressed that Nigeria must fix the foundation of its sports system to achieve sustainable success at the highest level. He noted that the country cannot continue to rely on chance discoveries of exceptional athletes.
The summit, themed “Creating a New Pathway for Sustainable Grassroots Sports Development,” will bring together participants from government, sports administration, federations, state and local structures, schools, clubs, and academies. Coaches, former athletes, corporate organisations, and development partners will also attend. Two sessions are on the programme: “Grassroots Sports Development in Nigeria: Challenges and Way Forward” and “The Game Changer: How Sports Rescues Youth and Builds Nations.”
Adeboye emphasized that government alone cannot provide every facility and programme, and called on corporate Nigeria and development partners to take an active role. He charged MOC members to work with urgency and professionalism. Adeboye noted that Nigeria has enormous talent at the grassroots, but talent alone is not enough. A system is needed to discover, develop, and create a sustainable pathway for young athletes.
The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development is organising the event. Adeboye said that if Nigeria wants sustainable success, it must get the foundation right. He stressed that a deliberate pathway is needed from talent identification to development, competition, and elite performance. This will enable the country to move from chance discoveries to a structured system.
Participants at the summit will discuss ways to address the challenges facing grassroots sports development in Nigeria. Adeboye's call for private sector support is seen as a move to ensure the sustainability of the summit's outcomes. The summit aims to create a new pathway for sustainable grassroots sports development, and Adeboye is determined to make it a success.
The National Grassroots Sports Development Summit 2026 is expected to chart a new course for grassroots sports development in Nigeria. With the private sector's support, the summit's goals can be achieved. Adeboye's leadership and commitment to the cause are seen as key factors in the summit's success.
Key points
- Adeboye calls on private sector to support grassroots sports summit
- Summit aims to create a new pathway for sustainable grassroots sports development
- Nigeria needs a structured system for talent identification and development
