The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has accused the National Sports Commission (NSC) of violating its Establishment Act by operating without a statutory governing board nearly a year after its creation.
In a statement issued on Sunday by SWAN Secretary-General, Ambassador Ikenna Okonkwo, on behalf of the association’s President, Isaiah Benjamin, the body urged the Commission to immediately inaugurate its 17-member board as stipulated in the NSC Establishment Act 2023.
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Benjamin described the continued operation of the Commission without the legally mandated board as “a breach of the law that undermines transparency and accountability in sports administration.”
According to Section 2(1) of the Act, the board must include representatives from relevant ministries, sports bodies, the organised private sector, academia, the medical field, the military, persons with disabilities, the Nigeria Football Federation, the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria, and SWAN.
“The NSC cannot continue to function as a two-man entity, comprising only the Chairman and the Director-General while 15 other constitutionally mandated positions remain unfilled,”
Benjamin stated.
“This issue will remain on the front burner until the law is obeyed,” he added.
SWAN argued that decisions taken by the NSC since October 2024 lack full legal validity without a properly constituted board, warning that the lapse reflects a broader pattern of governance shortcomings in Nigerian sports.
Benjamin cited unresolved disputes such as the Nigeria Football Federation’s legal battles and controversies surrounding the Athletics Federation of Nigeria elections as examples of systemic failures.
The association also criticised the NSC for neglecting its role in professional sports communication, stressing that deploying skilled Communication Managers for sports federations would enhance publicity, boost digital marketability, and attract sponsorships.
Furthermore, SWAN condemned the practice of organising national and international sporting events without adequate consultation with the professional sports media body, insisting that political and non-professional approaches were harming the Commission’s objectives.
“One of the major reasons why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the establishment of the National Sports Commission was to enable accelerated and holistic sports development in Nigeria,”
Benjamin said.
“What obtained in the past when sports was under ministerial bureaucracy should be a thing of the past. Unnecessary political interference is by far not the way to go.” The president concludes.
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