Follow Us on Google
From Abel Leonard, Lafia
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has demanded the immediate inauguration of the 17-member governing board of the National Sports Commission (NSC), describing the prolonged delay as a breach of the NSC Establishment Act 2023.
In a statement on Sunday, SWAN President, Mr. Isaiah Benjamin, through the association’s Secretary-General, Ambassador Ikenna Okonkwo, expressed concern that the Commission has operated without a statutory board since its creation in October 2024.
“As a statutory board member of the NSC, I’m compelled to urge the Chairman and Director-General to take all necessary steps to inaugurate the board without further delay,” Benjamin said. “Operating without a duly constituted board for nearly a year is not only a breach of the law but also undermines transparency and accountability.”
He explained that Section 2(1) of the Act clearly outlines the composition of the board, which should include representatives from ministries, sports bodies, the organised private sector, academia, the medical field, the military, persons with disabilities, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), and SWAN.
“There is no lawful way to run the National Sports Commission without a properly constituted board,” he said. “All major decisions made since October 2024 lack legal backing in the absence of the board.”
Benjamin linked the situation to wider governance lapses in Nigerian sports, pointing to ongoing litigation involving the NFF and disputes over the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) elections.
Other News
“The NSC cannot continue to function as a two-man entity – comprising only the Chairman and the Director-General – while 15 other constitutionally mandated positions remain unfilled,” he stated. “This issue will remain on the front burner until the law is obeyed.”
The SWAN President also faulted the exclusion of the association in the Commission’s operational structure, especially in the deployment of experienced and skilled communication managers to oversee media activities in various sports federations.
“Ignoring SWAN’s expertise is a missed opportunity to leverage professional sports journalism for national sports growth,” Benjamin said. “Engaging qualified communication managers would complement the NSC’s service, enhance sports promotion, and boost the digital marketability of sports for sponsorship drives.”
SWAN further criticised the practice of organising national and international sporting events without consulting the professional sports media body, warning that such unilateral decision-making undermines professionalism and inclusivity in sports administration.
“One of the major reasons President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his wisdom, approved the National Sports Commission was to enable accelerated and holistic growth and development of sports in Nigeria,” Benjamin noted. “What obtained in the past when sports was under the Ministry or bureaucratic encumbrances should be a thing of the past with the emergence of the NSC.
“A situation where political or non-professional approaches dominate the operations of the Commission is by far not the way to go,” he added.
