Nigeria is set to transition from importing foreign coaches to exporting homegrown technical experts, as the National Institute for Sports (NIS) moved to establish a North-East Zonal Training Centre in Adamawa State, signalling a decisive federal push to rebuild the country’s sporting backbone.
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the NIS, Comrade Philip Shaibu, made the declaration during a high-level visit to the Governor of Adamawa State, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, at the Government House in Yola, as part of the Institute’s nationwide expansion drive.
Shaibu said Nigeria had “come of age” to supply elite coaches to clubs and national teams across the world, rather than depend on foreign expertise to manage its own teams. He cited the success of Nigerian coach Justine Madugu and the country’s recent WAFCON triumph as proof of the capacity of local talent when properly trained.
“Nigeria is too big to be importing coaches to train us,” Shaibu said. “Our coaches should be expatriates in other countries. When we train excellent coaches, they will in turn produce excellent athletes. That is how to build a sports nation.”
The new North-East Zonal Office, to be based in Adamawa, will oversee certificate and diploma programmes, while basic coaching courses will be decentralised to state levels. Shaibu described the move as the most significant structural reform of the NIS in over 50 years, designed to make sports education more inclusive and accessible nationwide.
He linked the reforms to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying increased federal investment in sports was driving a new era of training, retraining and institutional revival.
Governor Fintiri, in his response, pledged full support for the project, describing Adamawa as a historic cradle of Nigerian sporting excellence dating back to the old Gongola State. He highlighted the rise of Justine Madugu as evidence of the state’s deep sporting culture.
“When you look at the young men and women here, you will see that Adamawa has what it takes to make sports a profession and a means of livelihood,” Fintiri said, adding that the State would work with neighbouring states to ensure the success of the institute.
He confirmed that the North-East NIS Centre is expected to commence operations in the first quarter of 2026.
The development carries major political and economic implications, positioning sports as a deliberate tool for youth employment, regional stability and global soft power. Analysts say the decentralisation of the NIS could reduce dependence on foreign technical staff and open new export opportunities for Nigerian sports professionals.
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