Intense power struggle is unfolding within the National Sports Commission (NSC), as Director General Bukola Olopade and Chairman Shehu Dikko clash over the boundaries of authority in the organization.
At the heart of the dispute is the interpretation of roles as defined by the NSC Act of 2021.
The Act empowers the Chairman to set the general policy direction for sports development and serve as the political head and public face of the Commission, while the Director General is charged with executing these policies, managing staff, and overseeing daily operations.
The DG’s influence typically grows stronger when the NSC Board is fully inaugurated.
However, findings by BSN Sports suggest that tensions escalated when Chairman Dikko reportedly likened his role to that of a Sports Minister, relegating the DG to the position of a Permanent Secretary.
Dikko has also been accused of projecting himself as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Commission, a role legally assigned to the DG.
It was gathered that Dikko has leveraged his connections at the Presidency, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, and the National Assembly in an attempt to consolidate his position as “Executive Chairman.”
However, efforts to amend the NSC Act to reflect this ambition have so far stalled, as such a change would require a rigorous legislative process that may not easily succeed.
Olopade, who views these moves as repeated attempts to usurp his authority, has resisted strongly, leading to an internal cold war that has unsettled the leadership of the Commission.
Observers have therefore warned that if left unresolved, the supremacy battle could distract the NSC from its core mandate of advancing sports development in Nigeria.
