The President of the Nigeria Association of Sports Science and Medicine (NASSM), Professor Isiaka Oladele Oladipo, has criticised the recent appointment of H.E. Philip Shaibu as the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Sports (NIS), describing it as a troubling precedent for the future of sports development in the country.
Professor Oladipo, a sports scientist and lecturer in the Department of Human Kinetics, University of Ibadan, expressed concern over assigning a sensitive, research-based institution like the NIS to a non-professional. He emphasized that the position should be occupied by a qualified academic expert in the field of sports science, not an accountant. According to him, someone of Shaibu’s background may be more appropriately appointed as NIS board chairman, rather than entrusted with daily operations and policy direction of the institute.
Referencing historical reforms, Professor Oladipo recalled that a 1988 commission led by Professor John Ademola Adedeji had recommended the separation of the Ministry of Sports and the Sports Commission. The commission emphasized that the NIS was to serve as a dedicated research and training institute modeled after the Australian Institute of Sport. As part of the implementation of those recommendations, sports professionals such as Dr. (Mrs.) Dayo Ogundare were trained in Australia, and the first directors of the NIS were seasoned academics like Professor Ajisafe and the late Professor Lasun Emiola.
Professor Oladipo asserted that appointing a non-specialist to lead the NIS undermines the institute’s purpose. Drawing comparisons with other research institutions, he asked, “Is the head of FIIRO a mechanic? Is the Minister of Justice an engineer?” He emphasized that such an appointment represents a “square peg in a round hole.”
He further appealed to President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the decision and halt the politicization of appointments within critical professional institutions. “The NIS was established by an Act, which presumably outlines the qualifications required for the position of Director-General. Unless the Act has been amended, an accountant should not lead the institute,” he stated. He stressed that numerous highly qualified sports professionals exist in Nigeria and deserve such leadership roles, just as professionals are expected to head ministries in finance, justice, health, and agriculture.
Supporting Professor Oladipo’s stance, other members of the Nigeria Association of Sports Science and Medicine, NASSM also urged President Tinubu to reverse the appointment and instead select a sports science expert to lead the institute.
President Tinubu appointed former Edo State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, as Director-General of the NIS on Saturday.
Established in 1974, the NIS is a research and training institution under the National Sports Commission (NSC), tasked with producing elite coaches, sports scientists, and administrators while conducting critical research to enhance Nigeria’s international sports performance.
