Sports journalist Mahbubat Salahudeen has called for better investment in developing athletes within Nigeria, saying the country depends too much on competitors who train abroad.
Speaking in an interview with Nigeria Info after the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Salahudeen said Nigeria's biggest challenge is not a lack of talent but weak development structures.
She said many young athletes are identified in Nigeria but later leave for Europe or North America to complete their training.
"There is this developmental gap that we have," she said.
Salahudeen argued that funding is not the main problem.
Instead, she said sports money should be spent more on athlete development.
She noted that the National Sports Commission's budget increased from 113 billion naira in 2025 to 203.6 billion naira in 2026.
However, she claimed that about 49% of the budget was set aside for ceremonies instead of sports development.
"We do not have a funding problem per se.
"We have a problem of how the funds have been allocated," she said.
Salahudeen also urged sports authorities to make better use of competitions such as the Nigerian University Games and the Delta Games to discover and develop young athletes.
She said Nigeria already has enough sporting talent and needs stronger coaching systems and clear pathways to help athletes succeed without relying heavily on the diaspora.
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