The Federal Government has launched the National Sports and Education Excellence Programme, a joint initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Sports Commission that will establish Sports and Education Centres of Excellence in nine selected tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

The programme was unveiled on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, alongside the National Sports Commission Chairman Shehu Dikko, under President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.

Alausa described the initiative as one of the most transformative reforms in Nigeria's education sector, stating that it would end the long standing challenge of talented students having to choose between academic pursuit and sporting careers. He declared, "For too long, many of our gifted athletes have sought opportunities abroad because we lacked a structured system that combines education with elite sports development. N-SEEP changes that narrative. We are building world class institutions where Nigerian talents can learn, train and succeed at home while earning globally recognised qualifications."

The minister added, "The future of sports lies not only in winning competitions, but in developing people. Through this initiative, we are producing athletes who will also become coaches, sports scientists, physiotherapists, administrators, entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators. We are investing in human capital that will continue to serve our nation long after competitive careers have ended."

The first phase commences this year at the University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Federal College of Education Okene and Babcock University. Subsequent phases will extend the programme to the University of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Benin, University of Jos, Muhammad Buhari University Maiduguri and Federal Polytechnic Offa.

Participating institutions will establish Faculties of Sports Science offering programmes in coaching, sports medicine, sports technology and data analytics, sports business, facility management, event management and sports administration.

Dikko disclosed that the commission was pursuing global accreditation for these programmes through ongoing discussions with FIFA and CAF, whilst also planning to extend Sports Centres of Excellence to Unity Schools to identify talents early.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Sa'id Ahmad, called for flexible academic calendars and continuous assessment systems to accommodate elite athletes without compromising educational standards.

The Commission's Director General, Bukola Olopade, stated that the programme would create a sustainable pipeline of coaches, sports scientists, researchers and technical officials to support a modern sports industry in Nigeria.