On May 29, 2023, Muhammadu Buhari concluded his tenure as the President of Nigeria.

Throughout his two terms in office, Buhari’s administration faced criticism for various missteps and controversial appointments.

One noteworthy appointment that received scrutiny was the selection of Sunday Dare as the Minister of Sports and Youth Development.

As he neared the end of his term, Sunday Dare made a significant decision to partially close the Lagos National Stadium.

This dilapidated structure had not hosted a major event since the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Nigeria co-hosted with Ghana.

Critics and observers of Dare’s tenure often expressed the view that he displayed limited interest in his role and tended to react hastily to situations.

Tosin Abayomi, the Editor for Nigerian Sports at Pulse, acknowledged that in comparison to Solomon Dalung’s tenure under the previous administration led by Jonathan, Sunday Dare represented an improvement.

Tosin said “To be fair, Dare was an upgrade on Solomon Dalung under Jonathan. However, grassroots sports development was not a priority.

“Football suffered. We failed on multiple occasions at the AFCON, AWCON and did not partake at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

“Basketball was a mess in the end, as FIBA disqualified D’Tigress from competing at the World Cup due to political tussles between administrators.

“The World Athletics Championships spearheaded by Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume provided some joy. But in general, sports during the Buhari regime was at the back burner.”

Following Muhammadu Buhari’s departure from office, Bola Tinubu has been inaugurated as his successor.

However, Tinubu’s recent decision to eliminate fuel subsidies has resulted in widespread chaos and confusion across the country.

Despite not making an official declaration, fuel stations throughout Nigeria promptly closed, leading to allegations of hoarding which sparked immediate criticism of the new administration, with many expressing concerns about inadequate or ambiguous communication from the government’s leadership.

With regards to the sports sector, Abayomi believes that transitioning to the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot result in a worse outcome.

Abayomi emphasizes that in order to uplift the sector, significant investments need to be made at the grassroots level.

Abayomi said “The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot do any worse in truth. To elevate the sector, there has to be critical investment at the grassroots level.

“Football is the joy of Nigerians. However, other sports with potential must not be neglected.

“Tinubu is a businessman and knowing the opportunity for foreign investment, Sports is a tool he must take advantage of to resuscitate an economy that is failing,” he added