The National Sports Commission (NSC) is organising national trials for about 600 Nigerian athletes in the diaspora, allowing them to participate in the National Intermediate Games and the National Sports Festival, NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, has said.

Affirming that athletes’ welfare is a defining feature of the current administration, Olopade said that the NSC has introduced deliberate policies to ensure that athletes are adequately supported and motivated.

“We are opening the doors wider by organising national trials for about 600 Nigerian athletes in the diaspora. This will allow them to participate in the National Intermediate Games in Lagos and the National Sports Festival (Coal City 2026), fostering a stronger sense of belonging and positioning them to represent Nigeria on the global stage in the future,” Olopade stated.

Explaining the NSC’s commitment to athletes’ welfare, he said that in the last six months alone, the NSC has paid athletes grants twice.

“The least among our elite athletes received $5,000, while even our young athletes were supported with N3 million each.

“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.”

He 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,” Olopade stated.

The NSC boss emphasised that grassroots development and athlete welfare are 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 NSC’s deliberate efforts to nurture young talent.

He added: “Our Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative has unearthed stars like Rosemary Nwankwo, Miracle Ezechukwu, and Jacinta Lawrence, who are already in the pipeline for the future. This is exactly the kind of progression we want to see from the grassroots to the elite level across all sports.”