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•As DG/CEO visits Gov. Mbah
As part of the decentralization of the National Institute for Sports across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS) Comrade Philip Shaibu on Friday visited the Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah along with the institute management team.
The immediate past Deputy Governor of Edo State who is on a working visit to Enugu State, congratulated Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for the state’s choice as the South East Zonal Center for the National Institute for Sports.
The NIS Boss also commended the Governor for his outstanding transformation of Enugu, describing the state as one of Nigeria’s fastest-developing capitals.
He highlighted the Governor’s visible achievements across the state, including massive infrastructural renewal, water projects, road expansion, smart schools, command and security centers, and modern healthcare facilities spread across the 280 wards of Enugu State.
Shaibu had earlier paid a visit to Nigeria’s football legend, Emmanuel Okala said the former Green Eagles goalkeeper who also praised Governor Mbah for his bold reforms and beautification of Enugu city.
“This shows that you have attracted traffic to Enugu State,” Shaibu remarked. “It shows that you represent our generation and inspire confidence in leadership.”
Speaking further, the NIS Director General stressed that the institute remains the engine room for producing and nurturing athletes in Nigeria but had suffered over two decades of neglect.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given us the mandate to bring sports back to life and restore it to what it used to be in Nigeria,” Shaibu said.
“In line with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, we carefully assessed the records and found Enugu most suitable to host the NIS South East Zonal Center. Everything is already falling in place with the President’s vision for national sports revival.”
He added that the NIS will require temporary office space and a training facility as plans advance toward the full establishment of structures and curriculum for elite athlete training and development.
Governor Dr. Peter Mbah, while welcoming Shaibu and his management team, expressed delight at the choice of Enugu as the zonal center.
He described the initiative as “timely and visionary,” noting that sports have a vital role to play in the social and economic growth of the nation.
“If we must create world champions, we must train and nurture athletes intentionally, it will not happen by accident,” the Governor said.
Governor Mbah assured that his administration will provide the necessary logistics and facilities to support the establishment of the zonal center.
“We are a government that believes that wherever you live, rural or urban, you should have access to quality infrastructure and opportunities,” he added.
The meeting was attended by Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, Secretary to the State Government (SSG); Barr. Victor Udeh, Chief of Staff to the Governor; and other senior officials who warmly received the NIS delegation.
Shaibu’s management team included top NIS directors and sports development experts, who presented a 10-year strategic plan outlining the objectives and roadmap for the South East Zonal Training Center, a plan Governor Mbah described as “forward-thinking and complementary to the state’s vision.”
The collaboration between the National Institute for Sports and Enugu State Government is expected to strengthen the foundation of sports development across the South East, producing athletes who will compete globally and uphold Nigeria’s sporting legacy.
… Visits Emmanuel Okala
The Director General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS) and former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, on Thursday paid a courtesy visit to Nigeria’s football legend, Emmanuel Okala, at his residence in Enugu State.
The visit, filled with nostalgia, saw the towering goalkeeper of the 1970s Green Eagles fame welcoming Shaibu and his team with his characteristic humor and infectious smile, a sign that though weak in body, Okala remains full of life, jovial and spirited.
During the visit, Comrade Shaibu briefed the football icon on his transformative agenda and the ongoing decentralization of the National Institute for Sports across Nigeria.
He explained that his trip to Enugu was in continuation of his engagements with the Governor of Enugu State regarding the recently approved South East Zonal Training Institute of the NIS, which will be sited in the state.
In a lively conversation, Okala reminisced about the golden years of Nigerian sports, recalling the beauty and glory of the National Stadium, Surulere, and the National Institute for Sports in its early days.
With a touch of humor, he asked whether the staff were still being paid salaries despite allowing such “a beautiful dream of an institute to become dilapidated.”
Okala expressed strong confidence in Shaibu’s visionary leadership, describing him as a man of “proven prudence, passion, and commitment” who possesses the capacity to restore the lost glory of sports institutions in Nigeria.
He also extended heartfelt appreciation to Shaibu for his support to him personally and to countless Nigerian sportsmen and women, both past and present, noting that such gestures have continued to inspire hope within the sporting community.
