Nkechi Obi urges grassroots infrastructure for Nigeria’s sports future

Nkechi Obi has called for Nigeria to build a stronger sports ecosystem, anchored by enough infrastructure at grassroots level to give more people access to organised sport and help develop talent.

Obi made the case during the Hot Seat segment of Inside Naija Sports, a programme broadcast on NTA News 24 every Saturday and streamed on YouTube. The sports marketing expert said Nigeria should move beyond searching for exceptional players and create opportunities for mass participation among anyone interested in sport.

She pointed to Morocco as an example of what sustained investment can achieve. Morocco’s development of sports infrastructure has enabled it to host several international events, and Obi believes Nigeria can match or exceed that progress if it establishes the necessary foundations across the country.

Her comments came against a backdrop of setbacks affecting several Nigerian national teams. The Super Falcons failed to qualify for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup, while the Super Eagles, Olympic Eagles, Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets have also experienced difficulties in succession. Obi said Nigeria should study African countries that previously faced comparable problems but later improved at domestic, continental and global levels.

Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations 2025 record shows that strong results remain possible at senior men’s level. The team is first with nine points from three matches, having won all three and scored eight goals while conceding four. Its wider recent form is less consistent, with a 1-2 loss to Portugal, a 2-2 draw in Poland, wins over Jamaica and Zimbabwe, and a 2-2 draw in Jordan.

Obi has been pressing for reform since Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, later intensifying those calls after the group-stage exit at the 2010 World Cup. She said the reform effort became particularly serious in 2016, but believes the structural changes needed to support the sector have still not been delivered.

For Obi, the starting point is a network of facilities that allows participation at community level and provides a clear route for promising athletes to develop. She said this would give Nigeria a better chance of converting its large pool of sporting interest and ability into finished products.