NSC Director General Bukola Olopade announced the changes during a meeting with the general secretaries of the federations in Abuja on Thursday, 8 October 2026.
The commission explained that the exercise was designed to deploy experienced administrators strategically and improve the management of the affected federations. It also stressed that the changes were redeployments rather than dismissals.
Athletics, basketball and padel among federations affected
Under the new arrangement, Bunmi Oluode becomes Secretary General of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, replacing Israel Inwang, who has been redeployed to the Padel Federation.
In basketball, Rita Mosindi has been appointed Acting Secretary General, while the previous officeholder, Amina Amanchi, moves to the Rowing Federation.
The other appointments and redeployments are as follows:
Shooting Federation: Tosin Samuel becomes Secretary General.
Karate Federation: Tinuoso Dolapo takes over as Secretary General.
Fencing Federation: Javan Bennard is assigned as Secretary General.
Arm Wrestling Federation: Dorothy Okpo becomes Secretary General.
Padel Federation: Israel Inwang is redeployed to the federation.
The changes affect the administrative leadership of eight sports federations, with the NSC seeking to match personnel with its operational priorities.
Olopade clarifies that officials have not been sacked
Olopade moved to clarify the purpose of the exercise, insisting that the affected secretaries had not been dismissed from their positions within the sports administration system.
“Let me be clear that no secretary is being removed because he or she has been sacked. They are only being posted to another federation to carry out another assignment,” the NSC director general said.
He added that the commission's leadership, headed by Chairman Shehu Dikko, remained confident in the professional experience and capabilities of the secretaries.
The clarification comes amid public attention surrounding the changes, particularly the replacement of Inwang at the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.
The NSC has presented the reshuffle as an administrative decision and has not identified the redeployments as disciplinary measures.
Federation secretaries described as lifeline of Nigerian sports
Olopade praised the officials for their professionalism, commitment and sacrifices towards the development of Nigerian sports.
He described federation secretaries as the “lifeline of our sports”, highlighting their role in implementing the commission's mandate to regulate and develop sports across the country.
General secretaries handle essential administrative responsibilities within their respective federations, including coordination, documentation, competition planning and communication with relevant sporting bodies.
Their effectiveness can influence how efficiently federations organise national competitions, prepare athletes for international events and implement development programmes.
NSC seeks stronger sports administration
The reshuffle forms part of the commission's broader efforts to strengthen the administrative structures of national sports federations and improve their overall effectiveness.
The NSC has continued to emphasise professional administration, accountability and improved governance as important elements of its sports development agenda.
The latest redeployments will place new administrators in key positions across athletics, basketball, rowing, shooting, karate, fencing, arm wrestling and padel.
However, the effectiveness of the changes will ultimately depend on how well the new appointees work with federation boards, athletes, coaches and other stakeholders to improve day-to-day operations.
Attention turns to implementation
With the new appointments announced, attention will now turn to the transition process and how the affected federations adapt to the administrative changes.
For the NSC, the objective is to ensure that its pool of professional administrators is used effectively to support the growth of Nigerian sports.
The commission will be looking for the reshuffle to translate into more efficient federation management, stronger coordination and improved support for athletes and national teams as Nigeria prepares for upcoming domestic and international competitions.