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Speaker Abbas Unveils Plan for National Sports Academy to Revive Grassroots Talent

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By Gloria Ikibah 
 
The Speaker House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, has revealed plans to set up a National Sports Academy aimed at revitalising grassroots sports and nurturing young talents for international success.
 
Speaker Abbas disclosed this during the first-ever distribution of sports equipment to principal officers and members of the House Committee on Sports for their various constituencies, on Wednesday in Abuja.
 
He emphasised that returning to grassroots sports is key to restoring Nigeria’s former dominance in global sporting competitions.
 
Reflecting on his days as a student and later as a teacher in the 1970s, Abbas recalled how inter-primary and inter-secondary school sports tournaments were regular events that produced many of Nigeria’s sports legends.
 
He noted that early exposure to competitive sports is crucial, as it is during such school competitions that exceptional talents are discovered and nurtured for future greatness.
 
He said: “The time has come with the dwindling fortune of Nigeria in the sport sector particularly in the last appearances at the Olympics sports where we came back without a medal. 
 
“It is unacceptable for a country of over 200 million people to go for completions and come back without a medal.
 
“At the last Olympics, Saint Lucia with a population of less than 100,000 people won gold medal but Nigeria with over 200 million came back with nothing, it is unacceptable. 
 
“I have put in the budget to build a National Sports Academy with all outdoor and indoor games for children of secondary school age who are identified though grassroots competitions will be admitted to continue their sports development.
 
“I believe that at the end of the day, this initiative will bring a lot of international stars that Nigeria will be proud of”.
 
Speaker Abbas explained that one way to regain Nigeria’s glory is to discontinue the current system where athletes are picked based on who they know and return to grassroots competitions.
 
He therefore charged members of the house to prioritise sports in their constituency development projects; as he said rather than focusing on skill acquisition centres or clinics which may not achieve long term goals due to lack of funding, building sports centre and organising competitions will never go wrong. 
 
The speaker noted that sports will not only engage youths gainfully, it will spark development and revenue generation at constituency level for the country as a whole.
 
He further commended the committee for achieving the feat in a space of six months, which is the first of its kind in the history of the National Assembly.
 
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman House Committee on Sports, Rep. Kabiru Amadu commended President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly for the 288 per cent increase in the sports sector budget from ₦29 billion in 2024 to ₦113 billion in 2025.
 
Amadu said that the aim behind the distribution of the equipment is to empower communities with the tools need to foster talent, build discipline, and strengthen social ties through sports.
 
Amadu said that it will benefit 3,260 teams across the country as each state will receive between 80 to 120 sets of footballs and jerseys, distributed through the committee members and House leadership.
 
“Our goal is to build a sustainable sports ecosystem starting at the grassroots where champions are discovered, talents nurtured, and characters built. 
 
“Investing in grassroots sports means investing in the dreams of our young people; sports have the power to transform lives, but for too long, focus has been on elite athletes, today we begin to change that narrative. 
 
“These items are not just physical equipment, they are symbols of opportunity, empowerment, and national progress,” he said.
 
The chairman therefore urged all members to ensure the equipment reaches the intended beneficiaries, stressing that the impact will be measured not by quantity but by the lives transformed and talents discovered.
 
Also speaking, the Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko highlighted on the need to change Nigeria’s sports from being competition-driven to development-driven.
 
He said that the era where sports federations come to get money to participate in competitions must stop to focus on sport development.
 
He said that all that needed to done to guide the process, ensure necessary reforms and necessary legislations must be done.
 
Dikko said the aim is to make sport cleaner, more profitable and attractive to the private sector to complement efforts of government.
 
“The final outcome we expect is to make sports the driver of the economy, to create two to three million jobs annually and earn foreign exchange; we want to make sports an international asset that will bring social life together and make the country proud,” he said. 
 
The NSC helmsman said that a bill that will restructure the entire sports ecosystem in the country was on the way to the house.
 
He explained that the bill seeks to create all the necessary agencies and development funds to run sport.
 
He called on all the members to support the bill when it finally comes to the floor of the house saying that it is the game changer of the Nigerian sports
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Just in: Tinubu assents 2026 Appropriation Bill, 2025 Budget Extension

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President Bola Tinubu has assented to the 2026 Appropriation Bill, which provides for an aggregate expenditure of ₦68.32 trillion.

He also signed the bill extending the implementation period for the 2025 budget from March 31, 2026, to June 30, 2026.

This was announced on Friday in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The ₦68.32 trillion budget for this year earmarks ₦4.799 trillion for statutory transfers and ₦15.8 trillion for debt service.

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It allocates ₦15.4 trillion to recurrent expenditure and ₦32.2 trillion to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure.

“With capital expenditure accounting for about 50 per cent, the 2026 budget underscores the administration’s continued commitment to economic stability, national security, infrastructure development, and inclusive growth.

The allocations reflect a strategic balance between statutory obligations, debt servicing, recurrent expenditure, and capital investments critical to driving productivity and improving the quality of life for Nigerians,” the statement read in part.

The President also has assented to the Appropriation (Repeal and Enactment) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which extends the implementation period of the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act from March 31, 2026, to June 30, 2026.

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The extension, the statement revealed, would ensure the full and effective utilisation of appropriated funds, particularly for critical infrastructure and development projects that are at advanced stages of implementation across the country.

It will enable ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to consolidate ongoing works, enhance project completion rates, and maximise value for public expenditure. With the 2026 Appropriation Act coming into force on April 1, the Federal Government will commence full implementation in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda,” it added.

Additionally, President Tinubu directed MDAs to ensure disciplined, transparent, and efficient utilisation of allocated resources, with a strong emphasis on value for money and timely project delivery.

He commended the National Assembly for its diligence, cooperation, and patriotism in expeditiously considering and passing the budget.

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The President reaffirmed the importance of sustained collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government in advancing national development objectives.

Tinubu also assured Nigerians of his administration’s resolve to deepen fiscal reforms, enhance revenue generation, and prioritise investments that will stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen social protection mechanisms.

The budget is also expected to be partly financed through external borrowing, following the approval of a foreign loan plan exceeding $21 billion to bridge the fiscal gap.

₦9.85trn Increase

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The 2026 budget represents an increase of ₦9.85 trillion over the initial proposal of ₦58.47 trillion that Tinubu submitted to the National Assembly, and ₦13.33 trillion higher than the 2025 budget.

The President had while presenting the 2025 budget proposal before federal lawmakers in December 2025, pegged the capital expenditure at ₦26.08 trillion and the crude oil benchmark at US$64.85 per barrel.

He disclosed that the expected total revenue was ₦34.33 trillion; ₦15.52 trillion for debt servicing.

The proposal was anchored on a crude oil production of 1.84 million barrels per day, and an exchange rate of ₦1,400 to the US Dollar for the 2026 fiscal year.

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Amid the growing concerns over insecurity across the country, Tinubu said his administration would “invest in security with clear accountability for outcomes—because security spending must deliver security results”.

“We will take decisive steps to strengthen agricultural markets. Food security is national security.

“The 2026 budget prioritises input financing and mechanisation; irrigation and climate‑resilient agriculture; storage and processing; and agro‑value chains,” he told the National Assembly members.

Nigeria’s budgets in recent years have come under fire with experts critcising the poor implementation and release of funds for the execution of important national projects.

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But the Tinubu administration said that the 2026 national budget was well-planned to solidify the gains of its reform agenda.

“Our ‘Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity’ is critical. It is a commitment to double down on what is working, to solidify gains, and to ensure that the shared prosperity we speak of becomes a lived reality for more Nigerians, faster,” Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said in a statement.

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BREAKING: Popular sports analystt, Okomi is dead

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Popular sports broadcast journalist with Classic FM 97.3, Temisan Okomi, has died.

A journalist with News Central, Olawale Adigun, confirmed his death in a statement shared on X on Friday.

He wrote on X, “The worst way to go into the weekend is hearing about Temisan Okomi’s passing. I’m so gutted and, at the same time, terrified. This man meant so much to me.”

Recall that news of his death has since stirred reactions on X, with colleagues and fans expressing shock and grief.

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The late journalist had worked with Lagos Television, HiTV, and other prominent media organizations in Nigeria.

His last post on X was on April 14, 2026, when he wrote, “The Champions League is hard, man.”

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Kwankwaso has decided to be Obi’s running mate-Ibrahim Abdulkarim reveals

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Ibrahim Abdulkarim, a political associate of ex-governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has claimed that the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has agreed to deputize the Obi in the 2027 presidential race.

He spoke during an interview on Trust TV, said the Obidients and the Kwankwassiyya Movements are already aligning towards Obi/Kwankwaso ticket.

Asked if Obi and Kwankwaso had struck a deal, Abdulkarim said “yes, I can categorically tell you that they have agreed”.

We all know that. Both the Obidients and the Kwankwassiyya Movements are aware of the agreement”.

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Recall that Kwankwaso recently decamped from the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP to the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

His move stirred suspicion that the two political gladiators may have agreed to run for the 2027 presidency on a single ticket.

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