In line with the directive of the Presidency on the need to restructure the sports sector, the Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has set up a visitation panel to the National Institute of Sports.
The objective is to reposition the institute as a centre of sports excellence in the production of elite athletes and to make it more efficient in the delivery of its other mandates.
The terms of reference of the panel, among others, includes evaluate the current NIS programme in the context of global best practices; undertake a review of the organisational structure and management practices, including financial management; and evaluate the staff strength, qualifications as well as the quality of its programmes.
The panel will also evaluate the level of adequacy or otherwise of NIS facilities and equipment, the level of competence of the NIS leadership in all its ramifications, asses the structure and composition of its Governing Council and examine its enabling Act in relation to undertaking the development of elite athletes.
Also, the panel is to examine the capacity of NIS, as presently constituted, to undertake additional functions outside its original mandate, such as the development of elite athletes.
The panel will be inaugurated next week and has four weeks to deliver its report.
The visitation panel on the NIS will be chaired by Prof. Rasheed Farouk. Farouk is the Provost of the Federal College of Education, Minna and Vice President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria.
He is a thoroughbred professional and shrewd administrator.