Plans for the 2026 National Grassroots Sports Development Summit are underway in Nigeria, focusing on creating sustainable pathways for young athletes from schools and communities to elite competition. The two-day summit is scheduled for November 18 and 19 at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja. It will bring together government officials, sports administrators, federations, schools, clubs, coaches, former athletes, corporate organisations, and development partners.
The theme of the summit is “Creating a New Pathway for Sustainable Grassroots Sports Development.” The Main Organising Committee, chaired by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye, reviewed preparations for the event at its latest meeting. The committee discussed stakeholder mobilisation, technical sessions, logistics, media and communications, private-sector participation, and overall coordination of the summit.
Adeboye emphasised that the gathering must produce practical solutions rather than become another forum for discussions without implementation. He stated that Nigeria has enormous talent at the grassroots, but talent alone is not enough. The country needs a structured system capable of identifying young talents early, developing them, and providing opportunities for progression from schools and communities to national and international competition.
One of the major sessions will focus on “Grassroots Sports Development in Nigeria: Challenges and Way Forward”, examining structural challenges and possible solutions to improving talent identification and development. Another session, “The Game Changer: How Sports Rescues Youth and Builds Nations,” will examine the contribution of sport to youth empowerment, education, employment, social inclusion, community development, and national unity.
Adeboye also called for stronger private-sector involvement in grassroots sports, stressing that government alone cannot provide the facilities, competitions, training programmes, and other opportunities needed to develop Nigeria’s young talents. He said this must be a national effort, with government, private sector, schools, communities, federations, clubs, coaches, parents, and development partners playing roles.
Adeboye charged the MOC to maintain a high level of urgency and professionalism in its preparations, insisting that the summit should produce recommendations capable of shaping the future of grassroots sports development. He said November 18 and 19 must represent more than two dates on the sporting calendar, but a starting point for building a new pathway for Nigerian sports.
The summit aims to bring stakeholders together to confront challenges honestly and begin building a new pathway for Nigerian sports. Adeboye noted that Nigeria does not have a shortage of talent, but responsibility is to ensure talent has somewhere to grow. The outcome of the summit is expected to have a lasting impact on the future of grassroots sports development in Nigeria.
Key points
- The 2026 National Grassroots Sports Development Summit will address gaps in talent identification and infrastructure.
- Private-sector involvement is crucial for grassroots sports development in Nigeria.
- The summit aims to produce practical solutions for sustainable grassroots sports development.
