To generate fresh job avenues for Nigerian youth, the Federal Government is exploring the inclusion of National Institute for Sports (NIS) training courses into its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) scheme.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during a meeting with the Director-General of the National Institute for Sports, Philip Shaibu, where both officials discussed stronger collaboration between education and sports institutions.
Alausa said the proposed integration would equip young Nigerians with practical, industry-relevant skills, develop local expertise and strengthen the country’s sports economy.
He identified basic sports training, coaching and sports-facility maintenance as areas that could be incorporated into the national TVET programme, subject to necessary approvals and implementation arrangements.
The Minister said training could be delivered through NIS centres across eight states, with programmes lasting up to six months where appropriate.
He stressed that investment in sports infrastructure must be supported by a skilled workforce capable of maintaining facilities to international standards.
According to him, areas such as groundskeeping, pitch maintenance and games instruction offer potential career opportunities for young people and could reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign professionals for sports-facility management.
Alausa also highlighted the Federal Government’s TVET programme, which he said had trained or graduated more than 250,000 trainees through approximately 1,200 centres in the preceding 12 to 18 months.
He disclosed that about 98 per cent of the centres were privately operated, while participants received a monthly stipend of ₦30,000.
The Minister also outlined a common curricular framework developed with the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), sports experts and the private sector.
The framework covers six areas: Sports and Exercise Science; Coaching and Development Science; Sports Management and Business; Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation; Sports Technology and Data Analytics; and Sports Law.
It is designed to expand structured sports education in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education beyond traditional physical education programmes.
Earlier, Shaibu commended the Federal Government’s education reforms and emphasis on technical and vocational skills development.
Drawing from his experience as former Deputy Governor of Edo State, he emphasised the importance of introducing sports more systematically into the school curriculum.
He recalled an initiative in Edo State that allocated five per cent of the 30 per cent continuous assessment score in primary and secondary schools to sports.
Shaibu identified the shortage of qualified games masters and certified coaches as a major obstacle to grassroots sports development.
He also disclosed that the NIS had graduated more than 1,000 coaches within a year and expanded its operations across the six geopolitical zones.
The Institute’s 2025–2035 strategic plan, he said, was designed to improve its sustainability, reduce dependence on government funding and expand professional training opportunities.
Shaibu appealed for the integration of the Institute’s basic training programme into the TVET framework, alongside increased institutional support for its training capacity.
Alausa reaffirmed the Ministry of Education’s commitment to working with the NIS and the National Sports Commission to strengthen the link between education, vocational training and sports development.
He said developing practical skills for the sports industry would create employment opportunities, improve local capacity and support a more sustainable sports economy.
What You Should Know
The Federal Government is working to connect sports training with its existing vocational education framework to tackle youth unemployment and build local expertise.
- Positive Impact: Young Nigerians will have access to practical training in fields like groundskeeping, coaching, and facility maintenance, backed by potential stipends and structured learning that can reduce dependence on foreign professionals.
- Potential Concerns: The success of this initiative depends heavily on proper funding, implementation across the designated state centres, and maintaining high standards for the training programmes.
