Preparations for the National Grassroots Sports Development Summit 2026 have intensified with a meeting of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) chaired by Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye. The meeting focused on preparations, coordination, and strategies for a successful national summit scheduled for November 18 and 19, 2026, at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Summit, themed “Creating a New Pathway for Sustainable Grassroots Sports Development,” aims to examine the future of grassroots sports in Nigeria. Adeboye emphasized that the Summit must produce practical ideas, partnerships, and recommendations to strengthen Nigeria’s sports development system. He stressed the need for a system that discovers young talents early, develops them properly, and creates a sustainable pathway to national and international excellence.
The MOC discussed critical areas of preparation, including stakeholder mobilisation, programme development, technical sessions, logistics, media and communications, private-sector participation, and overall coordination. Adeboye highlighted the significance of the Summit amid the national conversation about reforming Nigerian sports and building structures for sustainable results. He noted that meaningful sports reform must focus on the foundation, particularly in schools, communities, and local government areas.
According to Adeboye, Nigeria cannot continue to depend on discovering exceptional athletes by chance. A deliberate pathway from talent identification to development, competition, and elite performance is necessary. The Summit will bring together stakeholders from government, sports administration, federations, state and local structures, schools, clubs, and academies, alongside coaches, former athletes, corporate organisations, and development partners.
A major component of the programme will be discussions around “Grassroots Sports Development in Nigeria: Challenges and Way Forward,” examining structural obstacles that have limited grassroots development and practical interventions required to address them. Another key conversation, “The Game Changer: How Sports Rescues Youth and Builds Nations,” will explore the wider potential of sports as an instrument for youth empowerment, education, and employment opportunities.
The Summit is being organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development as a major platform for stakeholders to shape the future of grassroots sports in Nigeria. With the right structures in place, Nigeria can unlock the potential of its young talents and achieve sustainable success at the highest level.
Key stakeholders are expected to converge on Abuja for the two-day national gathering, which promises to chart a new course for grassroots sports development in Nigeria. The outcome of the Summit is expected to have a lasting impact on the development of sports in the country.
Key points
- The National Grassroots Sports Development Summit 2026 will focus on creating a new pathway for sustainable grassroots sports development in Nigeria.
- The Summit will bring together stakeholders from various sectors to examine the future of grassroots sports in Nigeria.
- The event aims to produce practical ideas, partnerships, and recommendations to strengthen Nigeria’s sports development system.
