Preparations for the 2026 National Grassroots Sports Development Summit are gathering pace as the Main Organising Committee intensifies efforts to ensure a successful national gathering in Abuja.
The committee recently held a meeting chaired by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye, to review preparations and coordinate plans for the event.
The summit is scheduled to take place on November 18 and 19, 2026, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, under the theme, “Creating a New Pathway for Sustainable Grassroots Sports Development.”
The event is being organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development and is expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to examine the challenges facing grassroots sports and discuss practical ways to improve the system.
Adeboye, while leading the organising committee meeting, stressed that the summit should produce practical outcomes rather than become another ceremonial gathering. He said the focus must be on developing workable ideas, partnerships and recommendations that can strengthen Nigeria’s sports development structure.
He noted that Nigeria has considerable sporting talent at the grassroots level, but said discovering talented young people is only the beginning. According to him, there must be a clear system for identifying, developing and supporting athletes from schools and local communities through to national and international competition.
The committee reviewed several areas ahead of the summit, including stakeholder mobilisation, programme planning, technical sessions, logistics, media and communications, private sector participation and the overall coordination of the two day event.
Adeboye said the summit comes at an important time as Nigeria continues to discuss reforms aimed at improving the country’s sports sector. He stressed that any meaningful reform must begin at the grassroots, particularly in schools, communities, local government areas, academies and other places where young talents are first discovered.
He said Nigeria could not continue to rely on chance discoveries of exceptional athletes, adding that a deliberate pathway was needed to move promising talents from identification and development to regular competition and elite performance.
The summit is expected to attract representatives from government, sports federations, state and local sports structures, schools, clubs and academies. Coaches, former athletes, corporate organisations, development partners and other stakeholders within the sports sector are also expected to participate.
One of the major discussions will focus on the challenges affecting grassroots sports development in Nigeria and the practical measures needed to overcome them.
Another session will examine the wider role of sports in youth development, including its potential to support education, employment, social inclusion, community development and national unity.
Adeboye also called for greater involvement from corporate organisations and development partners, noting that government alone cannot provide all the facilities, competitions, training programmes and opportunities needed to develop millions of young Nigerians.
He said the development of grassroots sports must therefore become a shared responsibility involving government, the private sector, schools, communities, sports federations, clubs, coaches, parents and development organisations.
The presidential aide said the broader goal is to establish a system where young athletes can be identified regardless of their location and given opportunities to progress based on talent, discipline and performance.
He urged members of the organising committee to approach their duties with urgency and professionalism, stressing that the November summit should produce outcomes capable of influencing the future direction of grassroots sports development in Nigeria.
With preparations continuing, the organisers expect the 2026 National Grassroots Sports Development Summit to provide a platform for turning Nigeria’s large pool of grassroots talent into a more organised and sustainable national sports development system.
