Olopade charges federations ahead of 2026 Commonwealth Games

National Sports Commission Director General Bukola Olopade has challenged Nigeria’s sports federations to raise their standards as Team Nigeria enters the final stretch of preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Saturday PidomNigeria reports.

Olopade issued the charge at a strategic meeting with federation executives and technical officials in Abuja, where he set out the Commission’s performance-driven roadmap for the Games and made clear that athlete welfare, discipline and results would be the benchmarks against which every decision would be measured.

“The welfare of our athletes is non-negotiable. They are the reason we are going to Glasgow, and everything we do must reflect that,” Olopade said.

The DG confirmed that Team Nigeria will hold its overseas training camp in Aberdeen, Scotland, a location selected for its world-class facilities, its climate similarity to Glasgow, and its proximity to the Games Village. Before then, local camping will begin nationwide on Tuesday, June 9, to kick off early conditioning, medical screening and technical preparation across disciplines.

Olopade made no attempt to soften the expectations placed on the federations, insisting that the days of underperformance without consequence were behind them.

“The days of excuses are over. Glasgow 2026 is about results. It is about showing the world that Nigerian sports is back on the right trajectory — focused, purposeful, and athlete-centred,” he said.

He also expressed confidence that the groundwork being laid would translate into Nigeria’s strongest Commonwealth Games showing in recent memory.

“We are optimistic this will be Nigeria’s best Commonwealth Games outing yet. We have studied past performances, identified gaps, and we are closing them early. Preparations have commenced in earnest and we expect every federation to match the Commission’s energy and urgency,” Olopade added.

The 2026 Commonwealth Games run from July 22 to August 2, bringing together more than 70 nations and territories across 20-plus sports. Nigeria has historically been one of Africa’s strongest contingents at the Games, and the Commission says this campaign will be underpinned by deliberate planning, data-driven athlete support and clear accountability at federation level.