Ministry of Sports scrapped in Nigeria

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), led by President Bola Tinubu, has announced that the Ministry of Sports Development will no longer exist. Its functions will now be handled by the National Sports Commission (NSC).

This decision was revealed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, after the FEC meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

Key Changes in Government Structure

The changes include:

1. The Ministry of Sports Development has been abolished.
2. The National Sports Commission will now oversee all sports activities in the country.
3. A new Ministry of Regional Development has been created to manage development commissions like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and others across different regions.
4. The Ministry of Tourism has been merged with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy.

These structural reforms aim to streamline government activities and improve efficiency.

Restructuring of Youth and Sports Affairs

Previously, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development managed both sports and youth-related matters. However, earlier this year, President Tinubu split it into two separate ministries:

• Ministry of Youth Development, focusing on enterprise, vocational training, youth advocacy, and employment.
• Ministry of Sports Development, which is now being replaced by the National Sports Commission (NSC).

This restructuring follows a similar effort made in 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari, when the National Sports Commission was merged into the former sports ministry.

The changes signal a fresh approach to managing sports in Nigeria, with the government hoping that the NSC will bring more focus and expertise to sports development.