The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, on April 1, 2026, officially inaugurated the African Union Policy Framework Workshop on the Sustainable Development of Sports in Africa in Abuja.
Dikko performed the opening ceremony in his capacity as Chairman of the NSC and also as Chairman of the AUSC Region 2 Conference of Ministers of Sports, representing the collective interests of the 16 ECOWAS member nations.
The high-level workshop, organised by the African Union (AU) in collaboration with the African Union Sports Council (AUSC), has brought together policymakers, government officials, and sports administrators from across West Africa to harmonise regional strategies with the AU’s 2023–2033 sports development framework.
Central to the deliberations is a renewed continental vision that recognises sports not merely as competition, but as a vital instrument for economic expansion, employment generation, youth empowerment, and wider social transformation.
Proceedings on the opening day featured the formal adoption of the workshop programme, detailed presentations on the AU policy framework, review of the AUSC Strategic Plan for 2024–2028, and discussions on effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms necessary to ensure successful implementation.
With delegates from several AUSC Region 2 member countries in attendance, the workshop is expected to strengthen regional collaboration and move discussions from policy formulation to practical implementation, coordination, and measurable accountability.
For Nigeria, hosting and declaring the workshop open further underscores the country’s strategic leadership in driving sports sector reforms across West Africa, while also aligning domestic priorities under the RHINSE framework with the broader continental development vision.