Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, says a lot of hard work has been put in place by Team Nigeria for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and that the result will show in Glasgow, Scotland. The Games will hold between July 21 and August 2.

To ensure Nigeria attain more greatness in sports, the NSC leadership led by the duo of its chairman Shehu Dikko and the DG, Olopade, seem to be leading the legacy reforms at all fronts, including the Nigeria Professional League, podium finish, athletes’ welfare, governance, school sports, infrastructure, sponsorship and policy reforms.

Olopade told The Guardian at the just concluded Commonwealth Games National Trials held at YABATECH, Lagos, that a lot of hardwork has been put in place to ensure Team Nigeria record its best ever outing in the history of the Games.

According to him, the NSC is very intentional about using the Commonwealth Games to set new standards for the country’s participation in future international multi-sports competitions both in podium performance and athletes welfare.

“Everything we need for our athletes to be in the best frame of mind for the Commonwealth Games has been put in place. From the apparel that they will be donning to the team’s pre-competition preparations and welfare package, we have been able to sort everything out with the full support of Mr President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR,” Olopade said.

“The athletes are in high spirits in their camp in Abuja. Their Track and field counterparts are joining them after this National Trials. We are also very excited to announce that the fear of not having our best athletes for the Games has been allayed with the good news we have gotten from the America Embassy.

“We are therefore expecting the likes of Samuel Ogazi, kanyinsola Ajayi and other of our top athletes based in America to arrive at the team’s camp in Abuja by this weekend,” he stated.

Olopade further revealed that the NSC is targeting 16 Gold medals in Glasgow, which will be a new Commonwealth Games record for Nigeria with the current best record being 12 Gold medals that was won in Birmingham in 2022.

The country’s contingents for the Games are expected to depart for a training camp in Aberdeen on July 2, ahead of the start of the Games in Glasgow on July 23, 2026.

Meanwhile, the NSC, in its effort to improve the standard of the Nigeria Professional League (NPFL), held a strategic meeting with the Nigeria Football Federation during the week, where they unveiled the most ambitious financial incentive package in the NPFL history.

Beginning from next season, the league champions will receive a record N1billion prize money, the runners up (N800,000), while the third-place team will get N700,000. Teams finishing further down the table will also receive financial rewards based on their final placement.

“Players must earn a living wage,” Dikko said. “This is how we build a league that command respect at home and abroad.”