The Federal Government has launched the National Sports and Education Excellence Programme (N-SEEP) to integrate quality education with elite sports development and produce globally competitive athletes equipped with academic and professional skills.
The programme was unveiled in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, alongside the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Alausa described N-SEEP as a transformative education reform designed to ensure talented young Nigerians do not have to choose between academic excellence and sporting success.
He said the programme would establish Sports and Education Centres of Excellence in selected tertiary institutions to discover, develop and retain sporting talents while preparing students for careers in coaching, sports science, physiotherapy, sports administration, entrepreneurship and research.
According to him, the initiative would also promote national cohesion, create jobs, reduce youth involvement in crime and position sports as a driver of economic growth.
Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, said N-SEEP would redefine the relationship between education and sports by introducing flexible academic structures that accommodate student-athletes.
Dikko described the programme as a defining moment in Nigeria’s drive to build a globally competitive sports industry anchored on education, innovation and strategic partnerships.
He said the NSC was expanding sports infrastructure, coach education and professional certification while engaging international bodies, including FIFA and CAF, to secure global accreditation for sports-related academic programmes.
NSC Director-General, Bukola Olopade, said the initiative would create a sustainable pipeline of coaches, sports scientists, educators, researchers and administrators.
Nine institutions were selected for the programme, including the University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Benin, University of Jos, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Muhammad Buhari University, Maiduguri, Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Federal College of Education, Okene, and Babcock University.
The first phase will begin this year at the University of Ibadan, ABU, Federal College of Education, Okene, and Babcock University.
Each centre will establish a Faculty of Sports Science offering programmes in coaching, sports medicine, rehabilitation, sports technology, data analytics, facility management, sports business and administration.