Nigeria has intensified efforts to secure the future of its sports by tapping into its global talent pool, following the inauguration of the Nigeria Diaspora Talents Development Committee by the National Sports Commission.
The committee, established to address what officials describe as a growing talent gap, has already begun work with its inaugural meeting held at the College Lane campus of the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, United Kingdom. The session was chaired by Committee Chairman Dr. Tunde Adelakun, while the Director-General of the Commission, Bukola Olopade, joined alongside other members virtually.
Setting the tone for the committee’s mandate, Olopade underscored the urgency of rebuilding Nigeria’s talent pipeline from the grassroots level, stressing the importance of early identification and sustained engagement with athletes of Nigerian descent abroad. “At the Commission, we have moved to seriously address the dearth of talents in our sports from the foundations. We know for a fact that there are many of our sons and daughters who are doing so well across the globe. We want to catch them at a much younger age this time,” he said.
He added that the initiative aims to correct a longstanding gap in Nigeria’s sports development structure. “We want to bridge that gap in the past when these athletes rarely identified with their fatherland until much later in their careers. We want to catch them young and provide some pathway for their career development,” Olopade stated, while assuring the committee of the Commission’s “unflinching support” for its programmes.
Central to the committee’s immediate plans is participation in the forthcoming National Intermediate Games, with discussions already underway on assembling a competitive diaspora team. As part of a broader scouting strategy, the committee is also positioning itself to engage directly with youth competitions such as the London Youth Games and the English Schools Sports Competitions, where emerging talents of Nigerian heritage are expected to be identified and nurtured early.
Further momentum is expected at a Multi Sport Exhibition Event scheduled to hold in London on July 17, where officials say the diaspora team for the Intermediate Games will be finalised and preparatory programmes outlined. The event is seen as a critical staging point for aligning logistics and refining the talent identification framework ahead of competition.
In a move aimed at ensuring continuity beyond scouting, the committee has also adopted the creation of a Diaspora Athletes Monitoring, Mentoring and Support Unit (DAMMS). The unit is designed to provide long-term oversight, mentorship, and welfare support for Nigerian athletes in the diaspora, reinforcing a structured pathway from discovery to elite performance.
