Sports in Nigeria

By Garba Sidi

Hadejia Local Government Area is the largest of Jigawa State’s 27 local governments, with over 200,000 residents. It is a historic, peaceful, religious town known for its legendary hospitality. When Boko Haram displaced Maiduguri residents, Hadejia welcomed and sheltered hundreds, showing unity and support across all levels.

Between March 8th and 13th, 2025, five lives were lost in Hadejia. A political fight led to a young man being stabbed with scissors. A game with sticks turned deadly when a youth was injured in the head. Two friends fought, and one killed the other. A mechanic was attacked and fatally wounded with a large knife at his home. Most heartbreakingly, a newlywed bride, just five months married, was found dead with her throat slit.

These are not statistics. These are our children, our neighbours, our brothers, and our sisters. And their blood calls out for answers.

As a Sport Officer with the Jigawa State Sports Council, I have spent my career witnessing the transformative power of athletics. I have seen the discipline it instils, the hope it generates, and the community it builds. And I am convinced that while we need police, while we need laws, and while we need parental responsibility, there is one vehicle that can carry Hadejia out of this darkness: sport.

Before we can prescribe a cure, we must first diagnose the disease. The insecurity engulfing Hadejia did not emerge from a vacuum. It has grown from specific, identifiable roots.

According to December 2025 reports, Jigawa State is the third poorest in Nigeria, with 80% of children out of school. In communities with large families, parents struggle to meet basic needs, leading to despair in youth without education or job prospects, fueling crime.

Drug abuse existed before the Boko Haram refugees’ arrival, with local youths accessing substances like Wiwi, Sholisho, and Tramadol. But refugees introduced large, powerful drug dealers who settled in town, worsening the situation. Young people gained easy access to new, varied drugs, increasing abuse, especially among females and under-18s, who had been less affected before. These new dealers made drugs more accessible and affordable, even to children.

The chemicals in these illicit substances are too strong for young minds. They cause users to fight one another in their hideouts and gatherings. A minor misunderstanding that would once have ended with words now ends with knives, scissors, or sticks drawn in anger. The connection is undeniable: drugs fuel violence, and violence fuels insecurity.

The pattern of crime in Hadejia has followed a predictable and terrifying trajectory. It began with shop-breaking, which gradually became more rampant. Then some youths started blocking small roads with sticks and cutlasses, robbing passengers of their money and phones. At first, these incidents were rare.

Now, these gangs have escalated further. They attack businesspeople inside their own shops, arriving two to a motorcycle, armed with guns. The progression from petty theft to armed robbery has happened right before our eyes, and fear has filled the hearts of all Hadejia people.

Some will ask how football or athletics can solve serious problems like drugs and armed robbery. As someone experienced in sports development, I’ve seen a well-organised sports program achieve much. Troubled youths become disciplined athletes, communities unite behind local teams, and hope replaces hopelessness when young people discover their talents and worth.

Let me explain precisely how sport can serve as the vehicle to carry Hadejia back to peace.

1. Sport Occupies Idle Hands and Minds.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us that two blessings which many people take for granted are health and free time. An idle mind, unoccupied with productive pursuits, becomes a workshop for mischief. When young people have nothing to do from morning until night, when they have no place to gather except street corners, when their only entertainment comes from substances that destroy their minds, trouble becomes inevitable.

Sport provides an immediate and powerful alternative. A young person who reports for football training every evening has no time to sit around smoking weed. A teenager who is preparing for a weekend basketball tournament is focused on practice, not on planning robberies. A youth who is exhausted from athletic exertion sleeps soundly at night instead of roaming the streets looking for trouble.

I have seen this transformation with my own eyes. In communities where we have established regular sporting activities, crime rates drop. It is not complicated mathematics. It is simple: a busy youth is a peaceful youth.

2. Sport Teaches Discipline and Self-Control.

Drug abuse thrives in the absence of self-discipline. The ability to say no, to resist peer pressure, to choose long-term wellbeing over immediate gratification—these are skills that must be learned and practised.

Sport is one of the most effective teachers of discipline. Every athlete learns to follow rules, to respect coaches and officials, to control their emotions in the heat of competition, and to work hard even when no one is watching. These lessons transfer directly to life outside the field.

Consider the young men who killed their friends over minor arguments in March 2025. Would they have reacted differently if they had spent years learning emotional control through sport? If they had been taught that losing your temper leads to defeat, that self-control is strength, and that violence has no place in resolving disputes? I believe they would.

3. Sport Builds Community and Breaks Down Division.

One of the dangerous consequences of the drug trade in Hadejia has been the introduction of powerful dealers from outside. These individuals have no loyalty to our community, no investment in our peace, and no concern for our children beyond the profits they generate.

Sport creates the opposite dynamic. When you play on a team with someone, you develop bonds that transcend neighbourhood, ethnicity, or background. You learn to trust each other, to work together toward common goals, and to celebrate shared victories. These bonds strengthen the social fabric and make communities more resilient against those who would exploit division.

Imagine what would happen if we established a Hadejia Youth Football League with teams representing each quarter of the town. Young people from different backgrounds would come together regularly, not to fight but to compete by the rules and shake hands when the match ended. Suspicion would be replaced by familiarity. Hostility would be replaced by respect.

4. Sport Creates Positive Role Models and Mentors.

Every coach is a potential mentor. Every older athlete can set an example for younger ones. In a sporting environment, young people encounter adults who care about their development, who notice when they are struggling, and who can guide them away from dangerous choices.

Currently, who are the role models for many of Hadejia’s youth? In too many cases, they are the drug dealers with money and flashy lifestyles. They are the gang leaders who project power and fearlessness. Sport offers an alternative: coaches who demonstrate that hard work leads to achievement, athletes who show that discipline brings success, and community figures who prove that respect comes from contribution, not intimidation.

As a Sport Officer, I have seen coaches become fathers to boys who lack paternal guidance. I have seen athletic mentors intervene when they noticed a player showing signs of drug influence. These relationships save lives.

5. Sport Reveals Talent and Opens Pathways.

One of the most powerful weapons against hopelessness is discovering that you have value, that you are good at something, and that your life has potential. For many young people trapped in poverty and despair, sport provides this discovery.

Nigeria is filled with stories of footballers who rose from humble beginnings to achieve fame and fortune through their athletic talent. While not every young athlete will become a professional, many can earn scholarships, gain admission to higher institutions, or secure employment through sport. Even at the local level, talented players can earn income through semi-professional leagues, coaching opportunities, or equipment-related businesses.

When a young person believes their future holds possibilities, they are far less likely to risk that future on crime and drugs. Sport plants the seed of hope.

6. Sport Provides a Platform for Drug Education.

The fight against drug abuse cannot be won through arrests alone. We must also educate our youth about the dangers of these substances and equip them with the skills to resist temptation. And there is no better platform for this education than sport.

Young people trust their coaches. They listen to respected athletes. They absorb messages delivered during team meetings and training sessions. By integrating drug awareness programmes into sporting activities, we can reach the very population most at risk.

Imagine a football league where every team must complete a drug education workshop before being allowed to compete. Imagine tournaments sponsored by anti-drug campaigns, with messages printed on jerseys and banners at every match. Imagine former addicts speaking to young athletes about the destruction they witnessed. This is not fantasy. This is practical, achievable intervention.

I am not suggesting that sport alone will solve all of Hadejia’s problems. We still need effective policing, responsible parenting, economic opportunities, and strong leadership. But I am arguing that sport must be recognised as an essential component of any comprehensive strategy to restore peace.

Let me paint a picture of what Hadejia could become if we invested seriously in sport.

Picture this: Every quarter of Hadejia has a functioning football pitch where young people gather every evening for organised training. Coaches—some volunteers, some employed by the local government—provide supervision, instruction, and mentorship. Leagues operate year-round, with weekend matches drawing crowds of families and neighbours who celebrate their youth’s achievements.

Picture this: The Hadejia Township Stadium, which currently hosts only occasional events, becomes a hub of weekly activity. Basketball, volleyball, and athletics programmes complement football, ensuring that young people with different interests can find their place. Tournaments bring teams from across the local government together, fostering healthy competition and community pride.

Picture this: Every school in Hadejia has a functional sports programme. Physical education is taken seriously, not treated as an afterthought. Talented students are identified early and connected with clubs where they can develop. The 80% out-of-school rate remains a tragedy, but for those children who cannot attend school, community-based sport provides structure, supervision, and hope.

Picture this: The drug dealers who currently prey on our children find their customer base shrinking because young people are too busy, too healthy, and too hopeful to seek escape in substances. The gangs find it harder to recruit because belonging to a team provides the identity and camaraderie that gangs exploit. The armed robbers find fewer desperate youths willing to join their ranks.

This is not a dream. This is an achievable reality if we have the will to pursue it.

To the Executive Chairman of Hadejia Local Government, I say: invest in sport as seriously as you invest in security. Build pitches in every ward. Employ coaches for every quarter. Organise leagues that give young people something to look forward to each week. The budget required is small compared to the cost of insecurity.

To the Executive Governor of Jigawa State, I say: support local government initiatives with state resources. Make Hadejia a pilot project for using sport as a tool for peace. Deploy coaches and equipment from the State Sports Council. Create pathways for talented athletes to access higher-level competitions and opportunities. Show the nation that Jigawa is serious about innovative solutions to security challenges.

To the traditional rulers and community leaders of Hadejia, I say: use your influence to encourage youth participation in sport. Speak from your pulpits about the value of athletic discipline. Identify land that can be converted to playing fields. Support parents who allow their children to participate. Your blessing carries weight.

To the parents of Hadejia, I say: support your children’s involvement in sport. Attend their matches. Ask them about their training. Notice when coaches speak well of them. The same energy your child might otherwise devote to destructive activities can be channelled into athletic achievement.

To the youth of Hadejia, I say: choose the field over the street. Choose the ball over the drug. Choose the team over the gang. The path of sport is harder in some ways—it requires discipline, hard work, and patience—but it leads somewhere worthwhile. The path of drugs and crime leads only to prison or the grave.

The five lives lost between March 8th and March 13th, 2025, cannot be recovered. The newlywed bride, with her throat slit, will not return to her grieving husband. The mechanic killed in his own home will not repair another vehicle. The young men who killed their friends over arguments will carry that guilt forever.

But their deaths need not be the end of the story. They can be the beginning of a new chapter—a chapter in which Hadejia recognises the urgency of the crisis and takes bold action to address it.

I have spent my career believing in the power of sport. I have seen it transform individuals, unite communities, and create hope where none existed. I am convinced that sport can be the vehicle that carries Hadejia out of this season of insecurity and back to the peace for which this town has always been known.

The vehicle is ready. The road is before us. All we need are drivers willing to steer us toward safety.

Let us choose sport. Let us choose our children. Let us choose peace.

Garba Sidi is the Sport Officer 2, Jigawa State Sports Council, Hadejia, Jigawa State.

By Ibrahim Suleiman Ibrahim 

It is part of my dreams to one day establish a female-only sports & gymnastics centre that would be managed and run by females, where taking pictures and videos during training sessions would be strictly prohibited.

This is to disprove the ill-conceived notion promoted by mischief makers that northern Nigerian women, particularly the Muslim ones, are deprived of the freedom to engage in sports and fitness activities. 

I’m honestly sick and tired of all the backlash Islam and Muslims are receiving, portraying us as people who do not give women freedom, as though the so-called freedom some other women are enjoying has earned them the needed value and respect from society. 

Unfortunately, these critics don’t consider the position of Islam about free-mixing between opposite sexes, and also the kind of outfit that is morally due for a woman to be seen in by men who are not her ‘Mahrams'(Muslims will understand this).  

It is worthy of note that what makes us religious people is the fact that we are neither freethinkers nor atheists. We have codes of conduct and laws enshrined in our religious scriptures, which we are obligated to abide by.

I don’t like how even some Muslims consider it absurd and barbaric that Muslim ladies are discouraged from participating in some of these secular-oriented sporting activities where women are mandated to appear in skimpy dresses, and intermingle with men indiscriminately. 

At the slightest provocation, they make references to Arabian countries where secularism has almost eaten up the religious aura there.

I understand that situations might sometimes warrant us to compromise and adopt some secular practices (Darooraat), but giving full acceptance to those practices, despite their contradiction with our religious laws, while considering our religious laws as barbaric and extreme, is quite unbecoming of a Muslim. 

Meanwhile, I implore religious organisations to begin investing in some of these necessary but non-Shariah-compliant things, such that we can have a halal version, and save ourselves this noise about us not depriving women of their rights. 

It’s about time we began to think outside the box and come up with solutions to some of these problems. 

Sports and gymnastics are necessary, and establishing a shari’ah-compliant atmosphere isn’t a bad thing. 

Ibrahim Suleiman Ibrahim wrote via suleimibrahim00@gmail.com.

By Jamilu Uba Adamu,Kano

The 2024 Nigeria National League’s kickoff has sent waves of excitement throughout the country, and Kano State is no exception. The football match between Barau Football Club and Plateau State’s Mighty Jets at the newly refurbished Danbatta Stadium marked a significant milestone in Kano’s football history. This development is a shining example of Senator Barau Jibrin’s commitment to sports development in the Kano North Senatorial district.

As a sports enthusiast, I find it heartwarming to witness the remarkable impact of Senator Barau Jibrin’s dedication to sports development in Kano State. The senator representing Kano North has consistently demonstrated his commitment to the welfare and development of his constituents, with a particular focus on sports.

The refurbishment of the Danbatta Stadium is a shining testament to Senator Jibrin’s visionary leadership. This world-class facility promotes sports and contributes significantly to the community’s economic growth and social cohesion. The stadium has the potential to unite not only people across Kano North but the entire Kano State, fostering a sense of pride and belonging.

Senator Jibrin’s recognition of the importance of sports development in rural areas is equally commendable. He understands that structured sporting events can profoundly impact these communities, providing a platform for young talents to emerge and promoting job creation, socialization, unification, and economic emancipation. This is a critical aspect of his leadership, as it acknowledges the often-overlooked potential of rural areas to contribute to the state’s sports development.

As Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin’s commitment to sports development is a shining example for other politicians to follow. His efforts have marked a significant milestone in Kano’s football history, 

In conclusion, Senator Barau Jibrin’s unwavering commitment to sports development in Kano State is a beacon of hope for the future of sports in Kano. His visionary leadership and dedication to the welfare of his constituents make him an exemplary politician. 

Adamu, a Kano-based freelance sports writer, can be reached via jameelubaadamu@yahoo.com.

By Abdulrazak Iliyasu Sansani

Every four years, the whole world assemble in the biggest celebration of sports in the World, the Olympics. Right from the strenuous preparations, several months of intense training, which number up to 47 months and some weeks for a legion of athletes. The Olympics offer pure, undiluted enchantment that has the entire world spellbound. Nothing eclipses it in terms of an array of amusements at display that thrills the spectators. 

This is just the minor aspect of it. It has far-reaching essence for all the nations that participate in it. It is not only the festival of sporting excellence at the highest level but also it brings much more to the table: pride that comes with winning the bragging rights, the ecstasy of athletes succeeding, and the joyous moments which leads to the pure jubilant mood in any nation that gets to reach the podium. 

It appears no nation goes to the Olympics to make up numbers. So it seems in principle, but in reality, the reverse is the case. Any country that flunks inadequately preparing for the most significant sporting events has sufficiently orchestrated to fail deliberately. There aren’t two ways about it. 

Nigeria, my beloved country, has been going to the Olympics for years. However, with all due respect to the athletes, we have yet to attain our potentials. We ought to have done much better as a nation endowed with seas of talents in every hamlet. With this established, I will dwell on our recent Olympics performance where we finished as 74th on the medals table with a solitary silver and a single bronze. That is two medals for a country of over two hundred million citizens that sent 55 athletes where ten were expelled even before it commenced. It is woeful, abysmal, and beyond the pale. Nigeria deserves much better. 

Some may make excuses for Nigeria’s dismal performance because of our vast population, while some may use that as the reason we have done better. But here are some facts for us to use and judge fairly. First, Nigeria’s name is missing on the gold medals table because we didn’t win gold, which is understandable. But on the entire medals table, I have seen some making excuses because of our vast population or otherwise for winning or not winning medals: we did even worse on the per capita table of medals won in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

San Marino, a country with a tiny population of 33,931 citizens, is far less than my local government of Gassol. In short, roughly the population size of my Ward, Wuro Jam: average a medal per 11,310 of her citizens because of the three trophies won. Bermuda, a British overseas territory is second with one medal won. This means a medal for every 63,918 of her population. It must be noted Bermuda isn’t even an independent nation, though it has its Olympics delegation. With a population barely the size of my local government, Grenada won a single medal in the Summer Olympics: 393,244 on average, a medal per 196,622 of her citizens. With 20 medals and a population of 4,82 233, New Zealand averages a medal per 241,111 of her citizens. This completes the top 5. 

With 71 medals won and a population of 144,1096,512, Russian Federation has a medal for every 2, 029,532. This makes it the number 41 on the table. The United States was the overall winner of the Olympics with 113 medals, and a population of 331,002,652 has a medal per 2,929,227 of her big population. Brazil, with 21 medals and a population of 212,559,417, has a medal for every 10,121,877. Astonishingly, even China, the most populous country globally, with a population of 1,439,323,776, has a medal per 16,355,952 of her citizens because of her 88 medals won in Tokyo.

Indonesia, with a population of 273,523,615, sits 91 on the table with five medals. This makes it a medal for every 54,704,723 of its citizens, which is also ahead of Nigeria. Nigeria with two medals is only above India on the log: Nigeria’s 206,139,589 estimated population has a medal per 103,069,794 of her citizens. This makes Nigeria 92nd on the list. With seven medals and a population of 1,380,004,385, India has a medal per 197,143,483 of its citizens. This is a sample of how the per capita table looks.

However you look at it, Nigeria ought to have done better and must do better. There is no room for excuses. We must decisively work towards a greater future for our dear country. To argue otherwise would be suicidal or rather a fatal blow to the aspirations of an ebullient, cerebral, and talented nation that should be aiming for the pinnacle half of the overall table. Once we are successful in doing that: Nigeria’s claim of being the giant of Africa will be valid, especially in sports. 

Talking about the giant of Africa, I believe it isn’t in sports. But if you have a good look at the medals table, most of the most prominent economists and most developed nations are at the upper part of the table. So it is saddening to see the ‘Giants of Africa’ languishing far behind in the world and not among the top 5 in Africa. Kenya had one of her worst performances in recent years for even the best in Africa, with ten medals won in the just-concluded Olympics. 

Hence, we can’t use them as a model of success. Indeed, it is not enough to be the best in Africa or 19th in the world if your performance is nothing to write home about. I followed Facebook posts where many Kenyans bitterly complained about their nation’s dire performance despite being the best in Africa. Yet, I felt that it is how an ambitious and visionary country should behave. Not the revelling of mediocrity for political sake or any other reason.

Do not get me wrong. I don’t mean our athletes shouldn’t be rewarded. On the contrary, all our Olympians should be rightfully taken care of. For donning our national jerseys and deriving joy in representing our country: they deserve some accolades. But that should not deter us from being accountable for our nation’s performance. It is the right thing to do for any country that craves excellence has to do the proper thing. You don’t become the best by wishful thinking. Concrete efforts have to match with ambitions for us to reach our targets effectively. 

From now on, Nigeria needs to plan to succeed deliberately. The fire brigade approach in Nigeria’s preparations for the Olympics must be discarded immediately. It has not yielded any positive results. It will never do. Nigeria’s desire to perform well at the Olympics should go with meticulous plans on the ground. 

We must commence from the basis. Nigeria’s policy of education has to create room for sports right from Primary school. Physical and Health Education must not only be on paper. Today, it exists in most schools, even in urban areas on the paper. There is no corresponding example in reality. If we cannot get it right here, there is little chance of getting it right at bigger stages. The government at all levels must provide ample funds for the execution of a lot of projects. 

In the recently concluded Olympics, Nigeria competed in 10 sports: Athletics, Badminton, Canoeing, Swimming, Basketball, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Wrestling, and Rowing. There are sports that Nigerians are pretty good at. There are sports that we admire as Nigerians. There are sports that we have prospects for but have completely ignored. We must identify all these and put these sports to where they belong. 

Once this is done, the next thing is to provide funds for building sports complexes, stadia, or any sports grounds based on our sporting priorities which must be rooted in sporting preeminence. Then, with that completed, we should hire coaches, or rather trainers. And be sure there are sufficiently catered for, given all the assistance for advanced training in tackling the tough and highest level of sports: all these must be adequately funded for effective execution of these plans. 

Funds are scarce these days, with the Covid-19 pandemic, terrorism, kidnapping, inter-tribal crisis, dwindling oil revenue, and other factors in Nigeria. This shouldn’t be the reason not to seek ways to sponsor such a laudable plan, though. We could do so by using all options, plans, or partnerships to get the desired result. All Nigerian sports enthusiasts, policymakers must make spirited efforts and corporations to deliver the intended result. 

Alternatively, to save cost, we could use the existing sports infrastructure to conduct inter-house sports competitions, inter-local government sports contests, interstate sports competition, youth sporting events, National Sports festival and other sporting events that will produce promising athletes that will become great Olympians, who will, in the end, stand proudly on the podium, medals strapped on their neck, the green, white green flag flying high on the sky. The bottom line is that government must encourage more participation in sports in a conducive atmosphere. All these are doable, with a state-backed programme to salvage our dear country and set her on course for its glorious days. She manifested potentials shown with the right policies, the political will to do it, and implementation achievable.

Abdulrazak Iliyasu Sansani writes from Turaki B, Jalingo, Taraba State. He can be contacted via abdulrazaksansani93@gmail.com.