The Federal Government is considering the integration of National Institute for Sports (NIS) training programmes into its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative as part of efforts to create employment opportunities for young Nigerians and strengthen the country’s sports industry.

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during a meeting with the Director-General of the National Institute for Sports, Comrade Philip Shaibu, where both officials explored areas of collaboration between the education sector and sports institutions.

Alausa explained that incorporating sports-related vocational training into the Federal TVET programme would provide young Nigerians with practical skills, promote talent development and open up career opportunities beyond conventional sporting activities.

He identified coaching, basic sports training and sports-facility maintenance as potential areas for integration, subject to necessary approvals and the development of an appropriate implementation framework.

The Minister noted that the NIS could leverage its training centres across eight states to expand access to vocational programmes, with courses lasting up to six months being considered where appropriate.

He also highlighted the development of a common curricular framework in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), sports experts, private-sector representatives and the National Sports Commission.

The framework covers six specialised areas: Sports and Exercise Science; Coaching and Development Science; Sports Management and Business; Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation; Sports Technology and Data Analytics; and Sports Law.

According to Alausa, the framework is designed to strengthen sports education in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education while creating opportunities for professional development across different segments of the sports industry.

He stressed that investments in sports infrastructure must be accompanied by the development of skilled manpower capable of maintaining facilities to international standards.

The Minister identified groundskeeping, pitch maintenance and games instruction as potential employment opportunities for Nigerian youths, noting that developing local expertise would reduce the country’s dependence on foreign personnel for specialised sports-facility management.

Providing an update on the Federal Government’s TVET initiative, Alausa said the programme had reached more than 250,000 trainees across approximately 1,200 centres within the preceding 12 to 18 months.

He disclosed that about 98 per cent of the centres were privately operated, while participating trainees received a monthly stipend of ₦30,000.

Earlier, Shaibu commended the Minister for ongoing education reforms and the renewed focus on technical and vocational skills development.

Drawing from his experience as former Deputy Governor of Edo State, the NIS Director-General emphasised the importance of integrating sports into the school curriculum, recalling an initiative in the state that allocated five per cent of the 30 per cent continuous assessment score in primary and secondary schools to sports.

He identified the shortage of qualified games masters and certified coaches as a major obstacle to grassroots sports development.

Shaibu also disclosed that the NIS had expanded its operations across the six geopolitical zones and graduated more than 1,000 coaches within one year.

He said the Institute’s 2025–2035 strategic plan was aimed at improving institutional sustainability, strengthening professional certification and reducing dependence on government funding.

The NIS boss further highlighted ongoing efforts to revive coaching, fitness and executive certificate programmes, train groundsmen and establish career pathways for retiring athletes.

He appealed for the integration of the Institute’s basic training programmes into the Federal TVET framework, alongside increased institutional support to expand its training capacity and financial sustainability.

Alausa reaffirmed the Ministry of Education’s commitment to collaborating with the NIS and the National Sports Commission to strengthen the relationship between education, vocational training and sports development.

He maintained that equipping young Nigerians with industry-relevant skills would not only expand employment opportunities but also build local capacity and establish a more sustainable sports economy in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.