The National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Federal Ministry of Education have unveiled the National Sports and Education Excellence Programme (N-SEEP), an ambitious initiative designed to combine quality education with elite sports development and create a sustainable pathway for discovering and nurturing Nigeria’s sporting talents.
The programme will establish Sports and Education Centres of Excellence across nine tertiary institutions, integrating academic programmes with high-performance sports training, sports science and research.
NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko said N-SEEP was developed to address one of the longstanding challenges confronting talented young Nigerians who are often forced to choose between pursuing higher education and developing careers in elite sport.
“This is about creating a system where our young athletes do not have to sacrifice education to pursue sporting excellence or abandon their sporting potential in order to obtain an education. We are creating an ecosystem where both can thrive together,” Dikko said. 
Dikko said the performances of Nigerian athletes at the recently concluded Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games further demonstrated the depth of sporting talent available in the country, stressing that the priority must now be to create structures capable of producing sustained success.
“We want success at major championships to become sustainable rather than occasional,” he added.
The NSC chairman also disclosed that discussions are ongoing with international football governing bodies, including FIFA and CAF, toward securing international accreditation and recognition for relevant sports education programmes under the initiative.
Minister of Education Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa described N-SEEP as part of the transformative reforms being pursued under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the programme would allow talented Nigerians to develop their sporting careers while obtaining internationally recognised qualifications.
“The future of sports lies not only in winning competitions, but in developing people through quality education,” Alausa said.
He added that the programme would help produce not only elite athletes but also coaches, sports scientists, physiotherapists, administrators, entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators who can contribute to the wider sports economy.
The nine institutions selected to host the National Sports and Education Centres of Excellence are the University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Federal College of Education, Okene, Babcock University, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Benin, University of Jos, Muhammad Buhari University, Maiduguri, and Federal Polytechnic, Offa.
NSC Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade said the initiative represents a deliberate shift from measuring Nigeria’s sporting progress solely by the number of medals won at international competitions.
According to Olopade, N-SEEP will develop a broader ecosystem capable of producing athletes alongside the coaches, sports scientists, medical personnel, administrators and other professionals required to sustain a modern sporting industry.
“This is bigger than medals. We are building the human capital and institutional framework required for sustainable sporting excellence,” Olopade said.
Phase One of the programme will begin during the 2026/2027 academic session at four pioneer institutions: the University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, Federal College of Education, Okene, and Babcock University. The remaining institutions will be incorporated in subsequent phases.
The participating institutions are expected to develop specialised programmes covering areas such as coaching, sports medicine, sports science, sports technology and data analytics, sports business, facility management, event management and sports administration.
Minister of State for Education Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad also called for greater flexibility within the participating institutions to accommodate the demands of student-athletes, including flexible academic calendars and stronger collaboration between faculties.
The centres will combine academic instruction with high-performance training facilities and modern research infrastructure, creating an environment designed to develop both elite athletes and the professionals needed to support Nigeria’s growing sports industry.
Beyond competitive sport, N-SEEP is expected to strengthen youth development, promote discipline and teamwork, expand opportunities for young Nigerians and contribute to the use of sport as a tool for economic development and national cohesion.
