NSC Chief Olopade Pledges Sustained Sports Growth in Nigeria's 66th Independence Message
Nigeria's sports sector will continue to develop along progressive lines, the Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, has said, adding that the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is determined to keep opening durable routes for athletes to excel.
Olopade made the commitment in a Thursday message marking Nigeria's 66th Independence anniversary, in which he described sport as a leading source of national pride and an effective tool for empowering young people and driving national growth.
According to him, the country's recent sporting results reflect its resilience, togetherness and deep pool of talent, with Nigerian athletes repeatedly flying the national flag at top-level international events.
"Today, we celebrate the resilience of our people, the strength of our unity and our belief in the promise of our great country, especially through sports," Olopade said.
"As we raise our flag with pride, may we remain committed to building a nation where every Nigerian has the opportunity to dream, thrive and succeed."
The NSC boss linked the gains in the sports sector to President Tinubu's vision and the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria Sports Development (RHINSE), which he said is aimed at creating a sturdier and more lasting pathway for athletes.
As evidence of the country's potential, Olopade pointed to Team Nigeria's outing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, where the country placed seventh overall and finished as Africa's best-performing nation with 24 medals — 10 gold, seven silver and seven bronze.
The Games also delivered a number of landmark results, among them world records in para-sport, while Samuel Ogazi, Ezekiel Nathaniel and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi claimed Commonwealth gold in the men's 400m, 400m hurdles and shot put respectively.
Olopade singled out Folashade Oluwafemiayo and Goodness Nwachukwu for praise over their record-setting feats in para-sports.
"Today, Nigeria is a global force in para-sports, and athletes such as Folashade Oluwafemiayo and Goodness Nwachukwu continue to demonstrate the extraordinary talent and determination that exist within our country," he said.
He also noted the continuing run of D'Tigress, who in 2025 secured a fifth straight FIBA Women's AfroBasket crown by beating Mali 78-64 in Abidjan, a result that stretched Nigeria's unbeaten sequence in the competition to 29 matches.
Turning to athletics, Olopade observed that Tobi Amusan remains one of Nigeria's foremost performers on the world stage after taking silver in the women's 100m hurdles at the first World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest in September with a time of 12.34 seconds.
The rise of younger athletes, he said, shows how much talent Nigeria can draw on once the right structures and opportunities are in place.
Olopade further recalled Nigeria's football pedigree, noting that the country still holds the record for FIFA U-17 World Cup titles, and drew attention to the increasing number of Nigerians featuring in newer sports.
"These achievements across athletics, para-sports, basketball, football, weightlifting, flag football and other sports remind us that Nigeria possesses immense sporting talent," he said.
The NSC director-general argued that sports administrators must do more than honour athletes once they are already champions, stressing that Nigeria needs to put in place the systems, facilities, competitions and opportunities that will keep producing winners.
"Our responsibility is not only to celebrate champions after they emerge, but to build the systems, facilities, competitions and opportunities that allow more young Nigerians to become champions," he said.
For Olopade, the 66th anniversary should serve both as a time to acknowledge what Nigeria has achieved and as a chance to focus on what lies ahead.
"Our athletes have shown us what is possible when talent meets opportunity, preparation and support. The task before us is to ensure that more Nigerians have that opportunity," he said.
He wished Nigerians a happy Independence anniversary and expressed the hope that the country would keep moving forward in unity, prosperity and sporting excellence.
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