The President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Isaiah Benjamin, has called for a deliberate and sustained approach to sports development as Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Anniversary.
Benjamin, in his Independence Day message delivered through SWAN Secretary General, Amb. Ikenna Okonkwo, on October 1, 2026, congratulated Nigerians and urged the Federal Government, state governments, sports federations, the private sector and other stakeholders to reposition sports as a strategic tool for youth development, national unity, employment and economic growth.
The SWAN President said Nigeria’s abundance of sporting talent must be matched by strong, sustainable structures capable of delivering lasting excellence across all sporting disciplines.
He stressed that sports development should not be repeatedly disrupted by changes in government or leadership, arguing that effective systems must be built to outlive individual administrations and office holders.
“As Nigeria celebrates 66 years of independence, we must begin to think beyond individual administrations and personalities. We need to build good and sustainable structures that can outlive leadership and deliver durable excellence across all sports. Our sporting development must be institutionalised, not dependent on who occupies an office at a particular time,” Benjamin said.
He also called for broad-based and inclusive engagement involving athletes, coaches, administrators, sports federations, government agencies, the private sector, the media, former athletes and other stakeholders in the sporting ecosystem.
“No single individual or institution has all the answers. We need the ideas, experience and input of all stakeholders. There must be genuine and inclusive engagement where people can contribute, deliberate and collectively develop solutions that will stand the test of time,” he added.
Benjamin advocated stronger grassroots sports development through schools and communities, stressing the need for clear pathways to identify, nurture and transition young talents from grassroots competitions to elite and professional sports.
He further called for improved sporting facilities, better coaching development, enhanced athlete welfare, regular competitions and stronger technical structures across the various sports federations.
“We must catch them young, but catching them young is only the beginning. We must have a system that identifies talent, develops it, protects and harnesses the athlete — both home and abroad — provides quality coaching and gives that athlete a pathway to the highest level. This must apply across football, athletics and every other sport where Nigeria has potential,” Benjamin said.
The SWAN President noted that sports could create opportunities for young Nigerians in education, employment, entrepreneurship and international exposure, while providing productive engagement that could help address youth restiveness.
He also emphasised the importance of continuity in sports administration, urging successive governments and sports authorities to improve successful programmes rather than abandon them whenever leadership changes.
“Leadership will change, but institutions must remain. Policies and programmes that are working should be strengthened and improved, not abandoned simply because there is a change of leadership. That is how we build continuity, institutional memory and sustainable excellence,” he said.
Benjamin called for stronger collaboration between government and the private sector and reaffirmed SWAN’s commitment to contributing to sports development through professional and responsible journalism.
“As sports writers, we are not only reporters of events, we are stakeholders in the development of Nigerian sports. We will continue to use our platforms to promote accountability, celebrate achievement and encourage the conversations and reforms required to move our sports forward,” he stated.
He said Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary should provide an opportunity for stakeholders to recommit to building sports institutions and structures that are sustainable, inclusive and capable of producing excellence across generations.
Benjamin urged stakeholders to work together on a long-term sports development framework that places athletes at the centre and provides continuity from the grassroots to the elite level.
“Our ambition should be to build a sports system that does not collapse when leadership changes; a system where the next generation inherits something stronger than what the previous generation received. That is the kind of legacy we should pursue, and it can only happen through collective ownership and inclusive engagement,” he said.
The SWAN President wished Nigerians at home and abroad a peaceful 66th Independence Anniversary and urged citizens to continue believing in the country’s potential while supporting initiatives that promote unity, youth empowerment and national development through sports.
