The Federal Government is exploring plans to integrate training programmes of the National Institute for Sports (NIS) into its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative to create employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Friday, October 30, 2026, during a meeting with the Director-General of the NIS, Comrade Philip Shaibu, where both officials discussed ways to strengthen collaboration between education and sports institutions.
According to a statement by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, the proposed integration is expected to equip young Nigerians with practical sports-related skills while strengthening the country’s sports industry.
Alausa identified basic sports training, coaching and sports-facility maintenance as potential areas for integration into the national TVET programme, subject to the necessary approvals and implementation requirements.
He explained that trainees could access programmes through NIS training centres across eight states, with courses lasting up to six months where appropriate.
The Minister also highlighted six areas covered by a common curricular framework developed in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), sports experts and private-sector stakeholders.
The 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.
Alausa said the framework would support structured sports education across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, expanding career opportunities beyond conventional physical education.
He further identified groundskeeping, pitch maintenance and games instruction as potential employment pathways, stressing that investment in sports infrastructure must be supported by a skilled workforce capable of maintaining facilities to international standards.
The Minister disclosed that the national TVET programme had reached more than 250,000 trainees through approximately 1,200 centres within the preceding 12 to 18 months. He added that about 98 per cent of the centres were privately operated, while participating trainees received a monthly stipend of ₦30,000.
Earlier, Shaibu commended the Federal Government’s emphasis on technical and vocational education, noting that the shortage of qualified games masters and certified coaches remained a challenge to grassroots sports development.
Drawing on his experience as former Deputy Governor of Edo State, he recalled an initiative that allocated five per cent of the 30 per cent continuous assessment score in primary and secondary schools to sports.
The NIS Director-General also disclosed that the Institute had graduated more than 1,000 coaches within a year and was implementing a 2025–2035 strategic plan aimed at improving its sustainability and reducing dependence on government funding.
He called for the integration of the Institute’s basic training programmes into the TVET framework, alongside institutional support to expand its training capacity, coach certification and career development opportunities for retiring athletes.
Alausa reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to working with the NIS and the National Sports Commission to strengthen the relationship between education, vocational training and sports development.
The proposed collaboration forms part of broader efforts to expand practical skills training and create additional employment pathways for young Nigerians.
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