By DAYO ADESULU
ILISHA-REMO, Ogun State — The Federal Government has selected Babcock University as the only private institution among four tertiary institutions chosen to pilot a new national programme designed to combine high-performance sports with quality education and create sustainable career pathways for Nigerian athletes.
The initiative, known as the National Sports and Education Excellence Programme (NSEEP), is expected to commence in November 2026 and is being developed by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with the National Sports Commission.
Under the programme, athletes will be provided with opportunities to pursue dual careers, enabling them to develop professionally and academically while continuing to compete at elite levels.
The development was disclosed during a courtesy visit by a four-man Federal Government delegation to Babcock University in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State.
Federal Government Targets Sustainable Careers for Athletes
Speaking during the visit, Mrs. Mojoyin Adebayo, Special Adviser to the Minister of Education on Digital Communications and e-Learning, said the initiative was designed to address one of the major challenges facing athletes whose sporting careers may be disrupted by injuries or retirement.
Adebayo explained that the government wants to rebuild Nigeria’s sports ecosystem by ensuring that athletes do not depend solely on their sporting careers for their livelihoods.
“We want to rebuild the sports ecosystem. What happens after you get an injury? You can’t compete anymore. Now we’re saying even if you have an injury, you can still have a job. There is a career for you.”
The programme therefore seeks to place education alongside sporting excellence, allowing athletes to acquire qualifications and professional skills that can remain valuable beyond their competitive years.
According to the Federal Government, the approach could help address the vulnerability associated with short sporting careers while giving athletes greater opportunities to transition into other professions.
Why Babcock University Was Selected
Dr. Kweku Tandoh, Chief Operating Officer of the Africa Table Tennis Federation and Consultant to NSEEP, said Babcock University’s previous contribution to sporting events was a major factor in its selection.
He recalled that the university had hosted a contingent of young athletes during table tennis championships and provided facilities for accommodation and feeding.
According to Tandoh, the support helped create an environment in which the teams prepared effectively for competition and went on to win medals.
He particularly highlighted Babcock University’s decision to make its facilities available to athletes, describing the gesture as something that had not previously been done in the same way.
The experience, he said, demonstrated the university’s capacity to contribute meaningfully to the development of high-performance sports.
NSEEP to Create Scholarship Pathways for Elite Athletes
Mr. Abiola Odetola, Adviser to the Director General of the National Sports Commission, said the partnership with Babcock University would also provide scholarship pathways for elite athletes representing Nigeria.
He said the education component of the programme could help reduce inequality among athletes and potentially address the migration of Nigerian sports talents in search of better opportunities.
Odetola also pointed to the relatively short careers experienced by many athletes.
“About 90% of athletes do not make it to the top and have short career spans.”
He said the skills and education athletes acquire through institutions such as Babcock University could serve as a form of retirement preparation.
“The skills and education they get from an environment like this will be their retirement plan.”
The approach places emphasis not only on producing athletes who can compete internationally but also on preparing them for life after competitive sports.
Babcock University Welcomes Federal Government Partnership
Responding to the Federal Government delegation, Prof. Afolarin Ojewole, President and Vice-Chancellor of Babcock University, reaffirmed the institution’s willingness to participate in the initiative.
Ojewole said the university was prepared to partner with the government in efforts aimed at building a new Nigeria.
“The new Nigeria we all want has a partner in Babcock University, and on behalf of the Governing Council and Board of Trustees, we say yes to the partnership.”
His response signals the university’s readiness to deepen its involvement in the intersection between education, athletics and youth development.
Babcock’s Growing Role in Nigerian Sports
Babcock University’s selection comes against the backdrop of its recent involvement in major sporting events.
In 2025, the university hosted the 8th Nigeria Private University Games Association (NPUGA), a 10-day multi-sport competition involving more than 30 private universities across Nigeria.
The institution also served as the Games Village for the 22nd National Sports Festival, Gateway 2025, accommodating thousands of athletes and officials.
These events demonstrated the university’s capacity to provide facilities and logistical support for large-scale sporting activities.
The Federal Government’s decision to include Babcock in the NSEEP pilot therefore builds on an existing record of engagement with national and university-level sports.
Why This Matters
The National Sports and Education Excellence Programme represents an attempt to address a long-standing challenge in elite sports: what happens to athletes when their competitive careers end.
For many athletes, sporting success may provide opportunities only for a limited period. Injuries, age, changes in performance and other circumstances can bring competitive careers to an early end.
By integrating academic and professional development with sports, the programme could provide athletes with another pathway for building sustainable careers.
The Babcock University partnership also places a private Nigerian university within a Federal Government-backed effort to strengthen the connection between education and high-performance sports.
If successfully implemented, NSEEP could provide a framework for developing athletes who are not only capable competitors but also graduates and professionals equipped for life beyond the field of play.
What Happens Next?
The Federal Government’s programme is scheduled to launch in November 2026, with Babcock University serving as the only private institution among the four tertiary institutions selected for the pilot.
The immediate focus will be on creating the structures needed to combine athletic development, education and career preparation.
The success of the pilot could ultimately provide lessons for expanding similar opportunities to more Nigerian athletes and tertiary institutions.
For Babcock University, the selection adds another dimension to its role in Nigerian sports and reinforces its position as an institution participating in both academic development and youth sporting activities.
Conclusion
The selection of Babcock University for the National Sports and Education Excellence Programme signals a shift towards a broader approach to athlete development, where sporting achievement and education are pursued together.
With the programme scheduled to begin in November, attention will now turn to how the Federal Government, the National Sports Commission and participating institutions translate the concept of dual-career development into practical opportunities for Nigerian athletes.
For athletes, the central proposition is straightforward: sporting ambition should not come at the expense of education, and the end of a competitive career should not mean the end of a professional future.
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