By Dayo Awoniyi
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has congratulated former Edo State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, on his appointment as the new Director General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS).
Shaibu’s appointment was announced on Saturday by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, who named him as the successor to Professor Olawale Moronkola. The appointment takes immediate effect.
In a statement released by the NFF, its President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON), expressed confidence in Shaibu’s capacity to lead the nation’s foremost sports research and training institution.
“The NFF heartily congratulates His Excellency Philip Shaibu on this appointment. We have no doubt that he has the intellectual capacity, passion, knowledge of sports science, and the energy to turn things around at the NIS,” said Gusau.
“We wish Comrade Shaibu the very best in this new and exciting journey and believe he will justify the confidence reposed in him by Mr. President.”
Shaibu, a former student union leader, was widely recognized during his tenure as Edo State’s Deputy Governor for his dedication to sports development. His sports-focused policies and interventions continue to have a lasting impact in the state.
Established in 1974, the National Institute for Sports is mandated to train coaches, sports scientists, and administrators, while conducting research aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s performance in global sports competitions.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
