Tinubu Orders Immediate Release of Sports Funds After Budget Approval
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a reset of the Federal Government’s sports funding framework, directing key ministries to make adequate budgetary provisions and ensure timely release of funds from the 2026 fiscal year.
In a statement issued on Friday, the president said the ministries of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, as well as the Budget Office of the Federation, have been instructed to provide sufficient funding for Nigeria’s participation in international competitions, sporting programmes and the development of sports facilities.
Tinubu also directed that all funds appropriated for sports must be released immediately once the national budget is passed and signed into law.
Nigerian sports teams have staged several protests in recent years over unpaid allowances and delayed funding.
One of the most recent incidents saw the Super Eagles refuse to travel for their quarter-final match at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Federal Government had attributed that delay to administrative bottlenecks.
Tinubu said the existing funding structure had undermined performance and put Nigerian athletes at a disadvantage, insisting that the situation must change.
He stated, “I have therefore approved and directed the relevant ministries of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning and the Budget Office of the Federation for the resetting of sports funding to ensure that henceforth, as from the 2026 fiscal year, adequate provisions for sporting infrastructure development, maintenance, sporting activities, programmes, events and participation in international competitions are made annually in the national budget, and that all funds so appropriated are released immediately once the budget is passed and assented to. Nigerian athletes deserve certainty, not excuses.”
The president added that sports financing had for years been slowed by bureaucracy and fragmented institutional processes, while releases often came too late to support proper preparation or participation.
He further noted that investment in sports infrastructure had been insufficient and often failed to meet international standards.
Tinubu praised Nigerian athletes for their achievements in 2025, noting that the country secured a total of 373 medals in international competitions.
He said the future of Nigerian sports would be better planned, properly funded and more competitive, assuring that athletes would receive early support, adequate preparation and due recognition.
In December, Tinubu presented a proposed N58.18 trillion budget for 2026 to the National Assembly, with more than N210 billion allocated to the National Sports Commission.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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