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“Somewhere in Nigeria, a future world champion is waiting to be found, and the Presidency wants to make sure that child gets a chance.”
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye, said this while briefing journalists at the Abuja National Stadium yesterday. He described the two-day grassroots sports summit his office is organising later this month as a major opportunity to redefine Nigeria’s approach to grassroots sports development.
“Somewhere in Nigeria today, a future world champion is waiting to be discovered. Our responsibility is to ensure that such a child is not denied the opportunity to succeed simply because of where they were born or their family’s financial circumstances,” he declared.
Adeboye said the summit would create sustainable structures for talent discovery, participation and advancement. He noted that Nigeria has enormous sporting talent, but that many promising youngsters remain undiscovered because of inadequate facilities, limited opportunities and the absence of structured development pathways.
The Presidential aide commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to repositioning Nigerian sports. He stressed that recognition of sporting excellence must be matched by deliberate investment in young talents across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
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According to him, the summit will bring together government institutions, sports federations, private investors, development partners and other stakeholders to develop an actionable national roadmap.
The press conference drew sports administrators, government officials, representatives of key institutions, journalists and other stakeholders. Among those present were Comrade Philip Shaibu, Director-General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS); Mr. Kumbi Titiloye, Chairman of Kwara United Football Club; and Ms. Seun Ojo, Head, Public Affairs & Public Policy, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).
Ms. Ojo’s presence underscored the role of the NESG as the summit’s technical partner in shaping discussions on policy, investment and sustainable sports development.
Also in attendance were Barr. Musa Ahmadu; Dr. Ademola Are, Chairman, Accommodation and Logistics Sub-Committee; and Dr. (Mrs.) Kehinde Ajayi, Chairperson, Media Sub-Committee, alongside other members of the organising committee and summit sub-committees.
Members of the Main Organising Committee also made contributions, and there was an interactive session with journalists on the summit’s objectives and expected outcomes.
The summit holds from November 18–19, 2026, at the Banquet Hall, State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja. Themed “Creating a New Pathway for Sustainable Grassroots Sports Development,” it will focus on five strategic pillars: Participation, Talent Development, Infrastructure, Sports Economy and International Pathways.
Adeboye thanked the dignitaries, stakeholders and media representatives for their support. He reaffirmed his determination to ensure that the summit delivers practical outcomes capable of transforming grassroots sports development in Nigeria.
