Nigeria Can Become Africa’s Next Sports Destination- Shaibu

By Arinzechi Chukwunonso

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), H.E. Comrade Philip Shaibu, has declared that Nigeria possesses the potential to emerge as Africa’s leading sports destination — if stakeholders across the sector work deliberately in unison.

Speaking in Rabat, Morocco, shortly after Nigeria’s 4–2 penalty shootout defeat to hosts Morocco in the semi-final of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, Shaibu urged Nigerian sports administrators to draw lessons from Morocco’s rapid transformation through strategic investment in sporting infrastructure.

According to him, exposure to global best practices must translate into domestic development. “Travelling is also education. When we visit countries like this, we must copy the good things we see and replicate them in Nigeria,” he stated.

Shaibu praised Morocco’s remarkable sporting facilities and efficient infrastructure, describing them as a benchmark for the continent. He noted that the quality of stadiums, road networks, crowd control systems and overall planning demonstrated a deliberate national vision to dominate African sports and attract global events.

He lamented that Nigeria once had a similar vision, recalling the Moshood Abiola International Stadium built under former President Olusegun Obasanjo. However, he blamed poor maintenance culture and weak administrative continuity for the decline of such facilities. “We built world-class structures, but today they are overtaken by neglect. Sport was treated like a child’s play, and we are paying the price,” he said.

The former Deputy Governor of Edo State called on sports administrators to leverage President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to revive Nigeria’s sports infrastructure, advocating for a national sports conference to chart a sustainable roadmap for development.

Shaibu also condemned the unpatriotic conduct of some Nigerian supporters during the semifinal match, alleging that tickets allocated to Nigerians were resold to Moroccan fans. He stressed that such actions undermine national support and reflect a broader need for attitudinal change toward sports development.

He concluded by reiterating that Nigeria can achieve what Morocco has accomplished — but only if leadership and citizens alike commit to a shared vision of making the country a true sporting hub.