Former Minister of Sports and Special Duties, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, has blamed the politicisation of Nigeria’s sports sector and the lack of professional appointments for the country’s persistent struggles with sports development.

Adedoja made the submission while speaking at the opening ceremony of a national conference organised by the National Association for Physical, Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (NAPHER-SD) at Bayero University, Kano.

The former minister, who chaired the occasion, argued that physical education remains the foundation of sports development, but said Nigeria has consistently failed to give the discipline the attention required to build a sustainable sporting system.

According to him, political considerations have had too much influence on the administration of sports, resulting in a lack of continuity whenever governments or ministers change.

“Sports development in Nigeria has been over politicised and that is why we are not getting it right. No continuity of policy,” Adedoja said. 

Adedoja, who served as Minister of Sports and later Sports and Special Duties under former President Goodluck Jonathan, also questioned the professional background of those appointed to oversee the sector.

He claimed that he was the only professional in sports development among the 35 individuals who had served as Nigeria’s Sports Ministers since independence.

“Since Nigeria gained independence, Nigeria had 35 Sports Ministers, I became one, and at the time I became minister for sports and later added special duties by the President Jonathan.” 

The former minister stressed that Nigeria would struggle to achieve sustainable progress unless professionals with relevant expertise were deliberately involved in policy formulation and administration of the sports sector.

He maintained that the country needed to recognise sports development as a specialised field rather than treating it primarily as a political appointment.

“Nigeria cannot make it in sports development unless it recognises the importance of employing people in this area for sports development,” he said. 

Adedoja also stressed the importance of physical education in developing Nigeria’s sporting ecosystem, describing it as the foundation upon which other aspects of sports development should be built.

He noted that the Physical and Health Education programme at Bayero University had expanded significantly since he served as its pioneer Head of Department, growing from a single department into five departments.

According to him, the expansion has created additional opportunities for students and graduates while demonstrating the relevance of professional training to national development.

“The foundation for any sports development in any country you know is physical education. But we are missing the point in this country,” Adedoja said. 

He urged stakeholders to continue advocating for greater recognition of professionals in sports administration and for policies capable of surviving changes in government and political leadership.

Adedoja’s comments come amid renewed discussions about how Nigeria can build a more sustainable sports development system, particularly through stronger grassroots programmes, professional administration and continuity in policy implementation.