NIS engages Ogun youths in grassroots sports development, partners Senator Yayi

NIS engages Ogun youths in grassroots sports development, partners Senator Yayi

The National Institute for Sports (NIS) has taken its grassroots sports development drive to Ogun State, engaging over 100 young athletes and coaches in a one-day intensive training and coaching clinic held at Gateway International, Sagamu.

The programme, themed “Training and Coaching Clinic in Soccer for Grassroots Sports Development in Ogun State,” was organised in partnership with Senator Solomon Adeola Yayi, representing Ogun West Senatorial District.

Leading the NIS delegation was its Director General and Chief Executive Officer, H. E . Comrade Philip Shaibu, who described the initiative as a strategic intervention aligned with the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda. “This programme is a practical implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” Shaibu stated.

“Mr. President has made it clear that Nigerian youths must be empowered, engaged, and positioned to succeed. Sports is one of the strongest platforms to achieve that vision. Through structured grassroots development like this, we are giving our young people real opportunities to build careers, create wealth, and contribute meaningfully to national development.”

Students from various schools and sports academies, alongside their coaches, participated in the seminar designed to strengthen technical capacity, nurture young talents, and reposition grassroots sports for sustainable growth.

In his welcome address, Shaibu further stressed that sports remains one of the most effective platforms for youth engagement and empowerment.

“Engaging our youths through sports is one of the most effective ways to put them on the right path to greatness,” Shaibu said.

“Sports today is far beyond entertainment; it is a global business worth over 60 billion US dollars. Nigeria has the talent to tap into this enormous opportunity.”

He disclosed that many of the participants expressed dreams of playing professional basketball in the United States and football in elite European leagues such as the English Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A. “That collaboration between visionary leadership and structured training will help us produce champions,” he added.

“What we are witnessing today may look like a drop of water, but it will surely become a full bucket.”

Shaibu commended Senator Adeola for his support and commitment to youth-focused initiatives, noting that similar NIS programmes have been held across the South-West and other parts of the country as part of the nationwide sports revival strategy.

Representing Senator Adeola at the event, Chief Segun Ojolowo-Ojuko explained that the lawmaker was unavoidably engaged in official duties in Abuja but remained passionate about youth development.

He described the Sagamu clinic as part of a broader empowerment strategy aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at creating opportunities for young people across Ogun State and beyond. “This is not the first coaching clinic. Similar programmes have been held in Ibadan and Lagos, and more are planned across Ogun State,” Ojolowo-Ojuko said.

“Senator Yayi is deeply committed to youth development. He wants young people to build independent minds and excel in their chosen careers.”

He further clarified that the initiative extended beyond Ogun West Senatorial District out of a belief in fairness, inclusion, and balanced development.

Speaking on behalf of participating coaches, Ogun State basketball chief coach, Jonathan Fagbemi, described the initiative as timely and impactful. “Only leaders with genuine passion for youth development can inspire hope for a better tomorrow in Nigerian sports,” Fagbemi said.

Mrs. Kehinde Oladesu, a teacher from Ansar Ud Deen Comprehensive College, Ota, who accompanied some students to the clinic, also expressed appreciation. “This programme has shown that school children can truly be part of structured grassroots sports development,” she noted.

The seminar concluded with the distribution of complete football and basketball kits to the over 100 participating youths, while coaches received training balls to support continued practice in their respective schools and academies.

Top NIS officials present at the event included Dr. Mike Majoroh (Consultant), Dr. Joy Maiyaki (Acting Head of Coaching), Coach Iorsue Jeremiah Kuhwa (Football), Coach Lidah Taye Mary (Basketball), and Coach Adamu Bello (Fitness Coach), among others.