The Director General/CEO of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Comrade Philip Shaibu, has said that the era of Nigeria struggling to qualify for the FIFA World Cup is over, describing the NIS as the engine of Nigerian sports with the aim of achieving results.
Shaibu stated this while speaking as chairman at the 2026 Public Health Awareness and Wellbeing Conference themed ‘Product Integrity, Regulatory Compliance and Safety Standards: Tackling Critical Challenges in Product Safety, Patients’ Trust and Public Health Protection’ organised by the NUJ FCT Correspondents’ Chapel in Abuja.
The NIS boss, a former player and skipper of Bendel Insurance of Benin, said President Bola Tinubu has given all necessary impetus for the sports sector to thrive and make Nigerian sports men and women to compete favourably with their counterparts across the globe and win laurels for Nigeria.
According to him, it’s high time sports in the country is seen strictly seen as business as it obtains in Europe and other developed countries. He commended a former Minister of Sports now a presidential aide, Sunday Dare, for moving in that direction when he held sway.
Shaibu, who also reeled off his achievements since assuming office at NIS, said, “Now, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has activated the engine. So both the Sport Commission and other sports Federations are gradually coming to life.
“The next World Cup, by the grace of God, we’re going. All other World Cups henceforth, we’ll be there. And we’ll not struggle to get there because we’ll not rely on government funding alone. Sports itself is money. I can assure Nigerians that going forward, we will be participating in all international competitions, including future World Cups. Only when we embark on services that work can Nigeria truly become better for all of us.
“My mind went to when I had a disagreement with a one-time minister (of Sports), Sunday Dare. I must give him to him that during his own time, he was able to take sports out of the social class and now into a business venture. That’s one good thing that he deserves a round of applause for. I criticise to change, and if I advise, I advise to change.
“I have no friends when it comes to work. No relationship when it comes to work. Work and friendship are on different sides. And if we imbibe that culture of work, Nigeria will be better for it.”
While Nigeria has qualified for six FIFA World Cups in 1994 (debut), 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018, the Super Eagles have failed to qualify for two consecutive tournaments: 2022 in Qatar and 2026 to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The immediate past deputy governor of Edo State also revealed a significant milestone achieved under his leadership at NIS, saying the Institute now has a trained and certified medical doctor who specialises in marathon races.
He stated, “It took me seven months to ensure we secured a trained medical doctor for marathon events. He has returned to the country to resume duties with NIS.”
While emphasising the importance of prioritising one’s health above every other thing, Shaibu added, “Our health is critical owing to the situation we find ourselves in today. It demands regular medical check-ups because our mental health and stability are essential to our daily living. Whether you like it or not, health is wealth.”
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