“It Unifies Us” – President Tinubu Announces Historic 373-Medals Haul, Major Funding Overhaul for 2026

By Emmanuel Kwada

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has hailed Nigeria’s remarkable sporting achievements in 2025, revealing that the country’s athletes secured an unprecedented total of 373 medals across various disciplines throughout the year.

In a statement released today, the President described the feat as clear evidence of Nigeria’s potential when talent is backed by proper structure, preparation, and support.

Tinubu highlighted standout performances from individual champions in athletics and other sports, as well as collective successes by the women’s football and basketball teams.

He also praised the Super Eagles, who captured national pride with a bronze medal finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) despite not claiming the top prize.

These accomplishments, he said, spanned grassroots competitions through to continental and global stages, with athletes proudly carrying the nation’s flag worldwide.

Emphasizing the deeper role of sports in national life, President Tinubu declared that the sector remains one of Nigeria’s strongest brands. “Sports is one of our strongest brands as a nation. It unifies us, breaks all our fault lines, inspires belief, and builds a sense of community that cuts across age, language, ethnicity, religion, and social status,” he stated.

He commended the National Sports Commission (NSC), under the leadership of Chairman Malam Shehu Dikko, for driving reforms aligned with his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and vision for shared prosperity.

However, the President was candid about longstanding challenges that have hindered progress in the sector.

For years, he noted, sports funding has been hampered by excessive bureaucracy, fragmentation across institutions, delayed releases that disrupted preparation and participation, and insufficient investment in modern infrastructure that meets international standards.

These issues, he argued, placed Nigerian athletes at a consistent disadvantage.

To break this cycle, Tinubu announced sweeping changes effective from the 2026 fiscal year.

He has directed the Ministries of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, along with the Budget Office of the Federation, to ensure that adequate provisions are made annually in the national budget for sporting infrastructure development and maintenance, domestic programs, events, and international competitions.

Crucially, all appropriated funds must be released immediately upon passage and assent of the budget, ending what he described as excuses and delivering the certainty that athletes deserve.

In a further move to streamline operations, allocations currently scattered across various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) will undergo review, restructuring, and consolidation.

Savings from this process will be channeled into a unified funding framework managed by the National Sports Commission, strengthening both grassroots development and elite-level international participation.

The reforms form part of the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy (RHINSE), which positions sports as a key driver of job creation, tourism, private investment, and global influence.

The President stressed the importance of early support, thorough preparation, scientific athlete development, revitalized federations, and hosting major international events on home soil to build a truly competitive and sustainable sports ecosystem.

Concluding his address, President Tinubu reaffirmed his commitment to the future of Nigerian sports. “The future of Nigerian sports will be planned, properly funded, and competitive. We will support our athletes early, prepare them thoroughly, and celebrate them proudly. Nigeria will continue to win, with pride,” he declared.

The announcement has sparked widespread discussion, with many viewing the funding reset as a pivotal step toward sustaining and elevating the momentum generated by the 2025 successes.