The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, says Nigeria must reposition sports as a structured economic asset, stressing that intellectual property is key to unlocking its full value. He made the remarks at the 2026 World Intellectual Property Day event in Abuja.
Dikko said modern sports extend beyond recreation to include media rights, branding, sponsorship, data and technology, all of which depend on effective intellectual property protection. He said Nigeria’s main challenge is not a lack of talent but the failure to properly identify, protect and commercialise sports-related assets.
He said ongoing reforms under President Bola Tinubu are aimed at positioning sports as a contributor to GDP and job creation, and called for stronger collaboration between government, regulators and the private sector. The NSC Chair equally urged stakeholders to build a system that protects the rights of athletes, clubs and federations.
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Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Daren Tang, also addressed the event, describing intellectual property as the “invisible engine” driving global sports, while experts called for stronger legal frameworks and enforcement to support growth in Nigeria’s sports industry.
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