Nigerian government has unveiled the National Sports and Education Excellence Programme, N-SEEP, as a landmark national initiative designed to integrate quality education with elite sports development, to nurture globally competitive athletes, create sustainable career opportunities for young Nigerians, and position sports as a strategic driver of national development.
The programme which was unveiled by both the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Shehu Dikko, is a collaborative initiative birthed by the previously constituted joint-committee between the Ministry and Commission under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Education Minister said the initiative will establish Sports and Education Centres of Excellence across selected tertiary institutions, creating a structured pathway for discovering, developing and retaining Nigeria’s sporting talents while equipping them with internationally recognised academic qualifications and professional skills.
While commending the NSC Chairman for his visionary leadership and commitment to achieving the President’s goal for sports, the Minister also praised the Director-General of the National Sports Institute, NSI, Philip Shaibu, members of the technical committee and other stakeholders whose commitment made the initiative possible.
Alausa said implementation would begin with nine tertiary institutions, which have been selected to host the National Sports and Education Centres of Excellence. These include the University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Benin, University of Jos, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Muhammad Buhari University, Maiduguri, Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Federal College of Education, Okene, and Babcock University. Together, these institutions represent eight federal institutions and one private university, strategically positioned to drive excellence in sports education and athlete development across the country.
The first phase of implementation is expected to commence this year at the University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Federal College of Education, Okene and Babcock University, with the remaining Centres of Excellence to be rolled out in subsequent phases.
Each participating institution will establish a Faculty of Sports Science offering internationally benchmarked academic programmes designed to meet Nigeria’s growing demand for professionals in coaching, sports medicine and rehabilitation, sports science, research, sports technology and data analytics, sports business, facility management, event management and sports administration.
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Editor: Terverr Tyav
