The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Comrade Philip Shaibu, has said Nigeria has the potential to become a leading sports destination in Africa if key stakeholders work together with purpose and unity.
Shaibu made the assertion in Rabat, Morocco, shortly after Nigeria’s Super Eagles suffered a 4–2 penalty defeat to the host nation in the semi-final of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, using the occasion to reflect on lessons Nigeria could draw from Morocco’s remarkable sports development model.
He urged Nigerian sports administrators and policymakers to take deliberate cues from Morocco’s heavy and sustained investment in sporting infrastructure, describing the North African country as the new pace-setter on the continent.
“I think we leaders in Nigeria, myself inclusive, should understand that travelling is also education,” Shaibu said. “When we visit places like this, we should copy the good things we see and bring them back home.”
According to him, Morocco’s rise did not happen by chance but through a clear national vision backed by consistent execution. He noted that the quality and diversity of facilities in Rabat alone underscored a long-term commitment to sports as both an economic and diplomatic tool.
“Morocco has gone very far—very, very far,” he said. “From the facilities we saw during WAFCON to what we have seen now, there is a deliberate effort to conquer Africa and also engage the world through sports. The stadium we played our World Cup qualifier in is completely different from the one we used yesterday. What I saw earlier was just the tip of the iceberg.”
Shaibu also highlighted the efficiency of supporting infrastructure around the stadiums, particularly road networks, crowd control and post-match traffic management, describing them as “marvellous” and a benchmark Nigeria must aspire to reach.
“It took us less than 30 minutes to exit the stadium, even with that massive crowd,” he said. “This shows that we still have a long way to go.”
While commending the vision of past Nigerian leaders, Shaibu singled out the Olusegun Obasanjo administration for its investment in sports infrastructure, notably the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. However, he lamented what he described as the failure of successive sports administrators to maintain and properly utilise such facilities.
“I will blame past sports administrators and leaders who treated sports like a children’s affair,” he said. “President Obasanjo built an edifice that mirrors what Morocco is doing today, but it was not sustained. Today, that stadium is taken over by rats, lizards and religious crusades, not sporting activities.”
Shaibu also condemned what he described as unpatriotic conduct by some Nigerians during the semi-final match against Morocco, alleging that tickets allocated to Nigerian supporters were resold to Moroccan fans.
“We needed the support of Nigerians in that stadium,” he said. “But some collected tickets, stayed outside and sold them to Moroccans. The noise level in that stadium can unsettle any player, no matter how professional.”
He stressed that beyond leadership, Nigerians must also undergo a change in attitude towards sports and public infrastructure if the country is to realise its ambition of becoming Africa’s number one sports destination.
“What we are seeing in Morocco is possible in Nigeria,” Shaibu added. “But it will only happen if all of us—leaders and citizens alike—decide that we truly want a Nigeria that can compete with the best in sports.”
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