The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Adeyinka Adegboye, has announced that the upcoming National Grassroots Sports Summit 2026 will mark a significant turning point in Nigeria's sports development. The summit, scheduled for November 18 and 19, 2026, in Abuja, aims to create a new pathway for sustainable grassroots sports development across the country. Adegboye emphasized that the era of discovering talents by accident must end, and a coordinated national approach to talent discovery is necessary.
Adegboye, speaking at a press conference held at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, stated that the summit is not merely a gathering for speeches and photographs but a deliberate effort to build a coordinated national approach to talent discovery. He posed poignant questions about the countless Nigerian children who possess world-class talent but lack access to opportunities, coaching, and basic equipment. Adegboye described their plight as "the reality of the struggles and constraints of every Nigerian who believes in the future of her children."
Adegboye lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for demonstrating unwavering commitment to sports development, citing the administration's recognition of Nigerian athletes, the restoration of the National Sports Commission (NSC), and the President's personal interest in the welfare of sportsmen and women. He said the President's actions send a powerful message that Nigeria values its sporting heroes. However, Adegboye stressed the need to also tell the Nigerian child who has not yet won a medal that their dreams matter.
The summit will bring together the 30 sports organisations that make up the main organising committee, value partners, and key stakeholders to move the sector from isolated efforts to a coordinated national approach. Adegboye explained that the event will focus on replacing accidental talent discovery with a deliberate system. The calibre of participants expected would contribute meaningful ideas to shaping a comprehensive policy direction for grassroots sports.
The Director-General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Philip Shaibu, expressed his support for the summit, saying President Tinubu has demonstrated the political will required to reposition Nigeria's sports sector. Shaibu noted that the establishment of the NSC was driven by the need to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with ministerial administration and introduce a more efficient, private-sector-driven approach.
Shaibu charged Nigerians to shift public scrutiny beyond the President, governors, and local government chairmen to appointed officials responsible for implementing government policies. He identified bureaucracy as one of the major problems affecting sports development in Nigeria and believed that moving to a commission would help bridge that gap and create a new approach to managing sports.
The National Grassroots Sports Summit 2026 aims to address the challenges facing Nigeria's sports development, with a focus on creating a coordinated national approach to talent discovery and development. The summit is expected to shape a comprehensive policy direction for grassroots sports, with a goal of moving from promises to practical, measurable action. Key stakeholders will gather to discuss the future of sports in Nigeria and chart a new course for sustainable development.
Key points
- The National Grassroots Sports Summit 2026 aims to shift from rhetoric to action in Nigeria's sports development.
- The summit will focus on replacing accidental talent discovery with a deliberate system.
- The event will bring together key stakeholders to shape a comprehensive policy direction for grassroots sports.
