The Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has trained school sports coaches and Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) sports desk officers across the three senatorial zones of the state.

The three-day training, held from September 8 to 10, 2026, was themed, “Enhancing Grassroots Sports Development for Future Champions.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony for participants from Niger East Senatorial District at the Niger State Sports Commission, the Executive Chairman of NSUBEB, Dr Ibrahim A. Liman, said the training was designed to strengthen participants’ coaching and sports management skills.

Dr Liman explained that the programme would also equip the officers with knowledge of emergency response during sporting activities and enable them to ensure that pupils are physically fit before participating in training and competitions.

He said grassroots sports at the basic education level was primarily aimed at discovering and nurturing young talents who could become future champions in various sporting disciplines.

The chairman urged the participants to pay close attention to the resource persons and ensure that the knowledge acquired was effectively implemented in their respective LGEAs.

Representing the chairman, the Director of Social Mobilisation, Mallam Zahra Ibrahim, urged participants to prioritise community sensitisation and mobilisation of relevant stakeholders.

She particularly called for stronger collaboration with School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) to secure the support and cooperation required for effective grassroots sports development.

The training featured interactive sessions during which resource persons took participants through various thematic areas designed to improve their technical knowledge and competence as school sports coaches and LGEA sports desk officers.

The programme concluded with the certification of participants and resource persons by the NSUBEB Sports Desk Officer.

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