SWAN Urges Immediate Inauguration of Sports Commission Board

The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has called for the prompt inauguration of the 17-member governing board of the National Sports Commission (NSC), citing the prolonged delay as a violation of the NSC Establishment Act 2023.

In a statement issued on Sunday, SWAN President, Mr. Isaiah Benjamin, through the association’s Secretary-General, Ambassador Ikenna Okonkwo, expressed concerns that the Commission has functioned without a statutory board since its inception in October 2024.

“As a statutory board member of the NSC, I feel compelled to urge the Chairman and Director-General to take all necessary measures to inaugurate the board without further delay,” Benjamin stated. “Operating without a duly constituted board for nearly a year not only breaches the law but also undermines transparency and accountability.”

He clarified that Section 2(1) of the Act clearly delineates the composition of the board, which should include representatives from ministries, sports bodies, the organized private sector, academia, the medical field, the military, persons with disabilities, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), and SWAN.

“There is no lawful method to operate the National Sports Commission without a properly constituted board,” he asserted. “All major decisions made since October 2024 lack legal endorsement in the absence of the board.”

Benjamin attributed the situation to broader governance lapses in Nigerian sports, highlighting ongoing litigation involving the NFF and disputes over the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) elections.

“The NSC cannot persist as a two-man entity—consisting solely of the Chairman and the Director-General—while 15 other constitutionally mandated positions remain vacant,” he declared. “This issue will persist as a priority until the law is adhered to.”

The SWAN President also criticized the exclusion of the association from the Commission’s operational framework, particularly in deploying experienced and skilled communication managers to oversee media activities in various sports federations.

“Overlooking SWAN’s expertise is a missed opportunity to leverage professional sports journalism for national sports growth,” Benjamin remarked. “Engaging qualified communication managers would complement the NSC’s service, enhance sports promotion, and augment the digital marketability of sports for sponsorship initiatives.”

SWAN further condemned the practice of organizing national and international sporting events without consulting the professional sports media body, warning that such unilateral decision-making undermines professionalism and inclusivity in sports administration.

“One of the primary reasons President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his wisdom, endorsed the National Sports Commission was to facilitate accelerated and holistic growth and development of sports in Nigeria,” Benjamin observed. “What prevailed in the past when sports was under the Ministry or bureaucratic hindrances should be relegated to history with the establishment of the NSC.

“A scenario where political or non-professional approaches dominate the Commission’s operations is decidedly not the way forward,” he added.