The National Sports Commission has released N200 million in training grants to 26 athletes ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland.
In a statement issued, the commission said the beneficiaries are top-performing athletes selected from both foreign-based and home-based competitors across multiple sports.
According to the NSC, the athletes were chosen after what it described as a rigorous and professional evaluation process carried out by its Elite and Podium Board, which is led by Yusuf Ali.
The commission did not release the names of the athletes who will receive the grants.
Bukola Olopade, director-general of the NSC, said the funding is meant to reassure athletes that their welfare remains a priority for the commission.
“The training grants disbursed to 26 athletes across different sports followed a careful and professional selection process by the Yusuf Ali-led Elite and Podium Board,” Olopade said.
“This is our way of reassuring our athletes that their welfare remains our utmost priority. I often say that when we take care of our athletes, they will take care of the country by winning medals.”
He added that under the leadership of chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko, the NSC will continue to find ways to improve athlete welfare so they can perform at their best when representing Nigeria.
The announcement comes days after President Bola Tinubu directed that all funds approved for sports in the budget be released immediately once the budget is passed and signed into law.
In December, Tinubu presented a N58.18 trillion appropriation bill for 2026 to the national assembly. The bill includes over N210 billion in allocations for the National Sports Commission.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place from July 23 to August 2 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Nigeria had previously lost a bid to host the 2014 edition of the games to the same Scottish city.