It was a question that cut through the atmosphere at the VIP Lounge of the National Stadium, Abuja, on Thursday, as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye, delivered a passionate address at the pre-summit press conference for the National Grassroots Sports Development Summit 2026.
“How many future world champions are walking barefoot on the streets of Nigeria today, not because they lack talent, but because nobody has given them an opportunity?”
With that thought-provoking question, Adeboye shifted attention from the usual discussion of sporting achievements to the millions of Nigerian children whose dreams may never become reality without deliberate intervention.
Speaking before an audience of sports administrators, government officials, development partners and journalists, the Presidential aide made an emotional case for a new national approach to grassroots sports development.
His central message was unmistakable: Nigeria’s greatest sporting challenge is not a shortage of talent, but a shortage of opportunity.
“Talent is everywhere in Nigeria. Opportunity is not. Our responsibility is to close that gap,” he declared.
Adeboye painted a picture of gifted children playing football on dusty community fields, young athletes training without proper equipment and promising sportsmen and women whose ambitions are restricted by poverty, inadequate infrastructure and limited access to professional development.
He argued that a child’s birthplace or family circumstances should never determine how far that child’s sporting talent can go.
The Presidential aide explained that the forthcoming National Grassroots Sports Development Summit was conceived to confront these longstanding challenges and establish a practical pathway from community participation to national and international sporting excellence.
According to him, the November 18–19 summit, scheduled for the Banquet Hall, State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja, will bring together policymakers, sports administrators, private investors, development partners and other stakeholders to develop a sustainable national roadmap.
He identified five critical pillars for the initiative: Participation, Talent Development, Infrastructure, Sports Economy and International Pathways.
Adeboye stressed that the vision must reach all 774 local government areas, ensuring that children in rural communities enjoy meaningful opportunities alongside those in major cities.
He also highlighted the importance of school sports, community facilities, girls’ participation, coaching development and the economic opportunities that a properly structured sports sector can create.
While acknowledging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to Nigerian sports, Adeboye maintained that celebrating established champions must go hand in hand with creating opportunities for the next generation.
He commended the leadership of the National Sports Commission, including Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade, and recognised the Nigerian Economic Summit Group as the summit’s technical partner.
The gathering included the Director-General of the National Institute for Sports, Comrade Philip Shaibu; Chairman of Kwara United Football Club, Mr. Kumbi Titiloye; and Ms. Seun Ojo, Head of Public Affairs and Public Policy at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.
Also present were members of the Main Organising Committee and its sub-committees.
Turning directly to the media, Adeboye challenged journalists to look beyond established stars and major competitions by giving greater attention to undiscovered talents in schools, villages and local communities.
He insisted that the true value of grassroots sports development must extend beyond trophies and international recognition.
“We must never measure the success of grassroots sports development only by the number of medals Nigeria wins. We must also measure it by the number of lives we transform,” he said.
But it was his closing appeal that brought the human dimension of the summit’s mission into sharp focus.
“We cannot promise that every child will become a world champion. But we can work towards ensuring that no child’s dream dies simply because opportunity never came.”
The address provided a powerful statement of purpose for the forthcoming summit, challenging stakeholders to move beyond speeches and commitments towards measurable action.
For Adeboye, the ambition is not simply to discover Nigeria’s next sporting superstar. It is to build a country where every talented child, regardless of background, has a genuine opportunity to be discovered, developed and given a chance to succeed.
