Nigeria’s sports industry is going through the most dynamic change it has had in the last 40 years, with the return of the National Sports Commission (NSC), doing away with the bureaucracy and attendant bottlenecks that the sports ministry has brought to bear on its management. Mr. President’s recent re-structuring of some ministries which saw to the exit of some ministers, including that of sports, was very much welcome by sports enthusiasts, journalists, marketers and sponsors.
Our athletes have faced so much ridicule recently as our preparations for international competitions have been abysmal and unprofessional. From lack of registration for the right competitions, to lack of equipment, to poor performances in events we used to do quite well in, Nigeria’s sports image was at its lowest. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s scrapping of the sports ministry was the best for our sporting industry. It was also done at the right time.
Sports will now be under the management of the NSC, chaired by Alhaji Shehu Dikko. Dikko is a Nigerian football administrator, and was chairman of the League Management Company (LMC). The company is responsible for the management of the Nigerian Professional Football League. He was a consultant for the House of Representatives Sports Committee. He went into football administration in 2004, as a FIFA Goal project manager, organising several club tours between Portsmouth FC and Manchester United, alongside Kano Pillars.
While he was a consultant for the government, Dikko was part of the drafting of the National Sports Commission Bill in the National Assembly. In 2012, he was appointed secretary of Super Eagles Bonus Row and Code of Conduct Drafting. In 2014, Dikko ran for the office of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) president but withdrew before the start of the elections. In December 2014, he was appointed chairman of the LMC by the NFF. In April 2019, Dikko was reappointed as chairman of the LMC. Dikko is a member of CAF Inter Clubs Committee, FIFA Stakeholders Forum, and the World League Forum.
Pamodzi Sports Marketing, organisers of the historic Gold Label Okpekpe International 10km road race, have described Dikko’s appointment as the best in the history of sports administration in Nigeria since the late Dr. Isaac Akioye’s era, in the mid 70s to the early 80s. Mike Itemuagbor, one of the few marketing gurus Nigeria has ever seen, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Pamodzi Sports Marketing, believes President Tinubu has not only scored very high marks with the return of the NSC but is also excellent with the appointment of Dikko as its chairman.
“President Tinubu may have made the boldest move in recent years to revive the sports sector and make it play its role as a development tool”, Itemuagbor said. He added that, “an ideal sports administrator balances leadership, strategy, and empathy. He’s skilled in managing teams, understanding sports policies, and fostering a positive environment for athletes and staff. He must have the adaptability to navigate the ever changing sports landscape, and Dikko fits the bill”. Itemuagbor believes that Dikko has been specially prepared for this role.
Mr. Fred Edoreh, another sports enthusiast, said, “From my association with him, I would say an emphatic yes, Dikko can deliver on the mandate of the National Sports Commission. He is well schooled in the technicalities, administration, management, and marketing of sports. He has the requisite corporate background, relationship with brands, and wide and deep relations in international sports politics. He is also a stickler for athletes’ welfare”.
Dikko’s appointment has been widely celebrated, especially by sports professionals, enthusiasts and journalists. It is strongly believed that our sports had lacked the experience and professionalism that Dikko embodies. He has decades of experience, knows the system very well, and boasts of the international connect, that can help accelerate our sports development. The world over, sports is financed by private entities and not by government.
It is our hope that Dikko will attract the right investments and sponsors that would bolster our sports and athletes’ performances, launder the nation’s sports image abroad, as well as create employment opportunities for our youths. If properly managed, our sports industry, too, is a source of tremendous FDI, that would help boost our economy. I wish Dikko all the best. It’s been a while I’ve seen an appointment that has been celebrated as much as Shehu Dikko’s.
Tahir is the Talban Bauchi
