The Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, has called for a strategic partnership with the National Institute for Sports (NIS) to strengthen grassroots sports development, talent discovery and institutional collaboration across Nigeria.
The delegation, led by the Chapel Chairman, Felix Ojo, made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the institute and former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, at the institute’s headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking during the visit, Ojo commended the Director-General for what he described as the visible transformation and reforms recorded at the institute since he assumed office. He noted that journalists have closely monitored the institute’s programmes, particularly the introduction of zonal initiatives aimed at strengthening sports training and manpower development nationwide.
“Since your assumption of office, the institute has witnessed significant transformation, and we have continued to report these developments both at the chapel and council levels,” Ojo said.
He disclosed that the NUJ FCT Correspondents Chapel intends to support the institute through responsible sports reporting and direct collaboration in sports development programmes.
Ojo revealed that the chapel plans to organise a basketball competition among secondary schools in the FCT later this year as part of efforts to discover and nurture young sporting talents in line with the mandate of the institute.
According to him, the competition would also provide an opportunity for sports federations to identify promising athletes for various age-grade competitions.
In addition, the NUJ chairman proposed periodic novelty matches between NUJ members and NIS staff to strengthen professional relationships and encourage sportsmanship. The proposed activities, he said, would cover sports such as football, badminton, table tennis and swimming.
Responding, Shaibu welcomed the proposal and assured the journalists of the institute’s readiness to collaborate in initiatives that promote sports development in the country.
He reaffirmed that the institute remains committed to strengthening institutions, enhancing manpower development through improved training and curriculum reforms, and implementing administrative restructuring within the organisation.
“Our core mandate is to strengthen institutions because when institutions are strong, both the strong and the weak are protected,” Shaibu stated.
The NIS Director-General also disclosed plans to safeguard national sports facilities by establishing a task force to prevent their misuse for political or religious activities.
Shaibu expressed optimism that stronger collaboration between the media and sports administrators would help reposition Nigeria as a destination for sports tourism and contribute to national economic development.
