Shaibu assumes office as NIS DG, vows overhaul to realize Tinubu’s sports vision
Comrade Philip Shaibu, the newly appointed Director General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), officially took charge at the institute’s Lagos headquarters on Monday, June 16, 2025. Welcomed by senior management and staff, the former Edo State Deputy Governor received handover notes from his predecessor, Professor Morolayo Fasakin, represented by Mrs. Omonude.
In his inaugural address, Shaibu expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the appointment and pledged to align the institute’s operations with the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda. He emphasized a commitment to excellence, collaboration, and accountability, urging staff to join him in repositioning the NIS as a hub for world-class sports development.
Shaibu, who also met with staff in Abuja, underscored the urgency of producing elite coaches, athletes, and para-medics, citing global shortages and Nigeria’s untapped potential. ‘The NIS is the engine room of Nigerian sports,’ he said. ‘If it’s sleeping, our sports are sleeping. We must wake up and deliver.’
His tenure begins with a clear mandate: to reform and revitalize the institute as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s sporting future
