The Federal Government is considering integrating National Institute for Sports (NIS) training into its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative to address sports skills shortages.
Minister of Education Maruf Tunji Alausa disclosed this during a meeting with NIS Director-General Philip Shaibu. They discussed aligning sports training.
Alausa said the ministry was exploring how NIS programmes could fit into TVET, subject to approval. The proposal would offer practical training and help create jobs.
In a statement signed by Special Adviser on Media and Communications Ikharo Attah, Alausa said curriculum would be developed with bodies including the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), National Sports Commission and stakeholders.
Curriculum areas include Sports and Exercise Science; Coaching and Development Science; Sports Management and Business; Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation; Sports Technology and Data Analytics; and Sports Law.
Coaching, sports instruction and facility maintenance could also be included, subject to approval.
Alausa said government may use NIS training centres in eight states with courses lasting up to six months.
He said TVET had trained and graduated more than 250,000 Nigerians through about 1,200 centres in 12 to 18 months. About 98 per cent of the centres were privately operated. Participants receive a monthly stipend of ₦30,000 during training.
Sports training could create jobs in groundskeeping, pitch maintenance, coaching and games instruction, while reducing reliance on foreign specialists.
Shaibu said Nigeria faced a shortage of qualified games masters and certified coaches, an obstacle to sports development.
He said NIS had expanded training across the six geopolitical zones and graduated more than 1,000 coaches in a year.
Its 2025–2035 strategic plan prioritises coach certification, groundsmen training and pathways for retiring athletes to acquire new skills and stay active, he said.
Shaibu called for the institute’s basic training programmes to be integrated into TVET, to address personnel shortages and widen access.
How to apply
The sports-training integration remains under consideration; no application process has been announced for the proposed courses. Nigerians can apply for the ongoing TVET Batch C (Cohort 3) through the official portal: https://www.tvet.education.gov.ng/signup. Create an account and follow the instructions to select an available training pathway, trade and centre. Training is free, and participants receive a monthly stipend of ₦30,000. Check the portal for current details before applying.