Olopade: Elite Athletes Have Been Paid Grants Twice in Six Months With $5,000 as Minimum Payment
Insists Athlete Welfare Has Been One of NSC's Greatest Assets
National Sports Commission (NSC) Director General, Bukola Olopade, has declared athlete welfare as a defining feature of the current administration, highlighting deliberate policies introduced to ensure athletes are adequately supported and motivated.
‘Athlete welfare has been one of our greatest assets in this administration. In the last six months alone, we have paid athletes grants twice.
‘The least among our elite athletes received $5,000, while even our young athletes were supported with ₦3 million each,’ Olopade said in a media statement from his office.
He added: ‘Beyond that, we have taken responsibility for the education of some of our brightest future stars by paying their school fees. This is the kind of system that builds confidence, loyalty, and excellence.’
Olopade reaffirmed that sustained funding and strategic support from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are central to the progress recorded in Nigeria’s sports sector, particularly in athletics development.
‘The consistent funding and unwavering support from Mr. President have been a major highlight of what we are achieving today in Nigerian sports. It has enabled us to refocus, rebuild, and reposition our systems for sustainable success,’ he stated.
The NSC boss emphasized grassroots development and athlete welfare as twin pillars driving a new era of growth and global competitiveness. He pointed to emerging athletes such as Rosemary Nwankwo, Miracle Ezechukwu, and Jacinta Lawrence as examples of the Commission’s deliberate efforts to nurture young talents.
‘Our Invited Junior Athletes initiative has unearthed stars like Rosemary Nwankwo, Miracle Ezechukwu, and Jacinta Lawrence, who are already in the pipeline as the future. This is exactly the kind of progression we want to see from the grassroots to the elite level across all sports,’ Olopade said.
He further revealed that the Commission is organizing national trials for about 600 Nigerian athletes in the diaspora, giving them the opportunity to participate in the National Intermediate Games and the National Sports Festival.
‘We are opening the doors wider by organizing national trials for about 600 Nigerian athletes in the diaspora. This will give them the opportunity to participate in the National Intermediate Games and the National Sports Festival, fostering a stronger sense of belonging and positioning them to represent Nigeria on the global stage in the future,’ he explained.
