‘Lack Of Transparency, Others Chasing Sponsors Away From Nigerian Sports’

The sponsor of Gombe State Inter-secondary Schools Athletics Competition and Principal’s Cup Football Competition 2025, Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu-Gara Gombe, has identified lack of transparency, financial probity and good governance as reasons for lack of sponsors in the Nigerian sports sector.
Gombe, who spoke to journalists at the Gombe Stadium Pantami during the Gombe Principals Cup and Athletics Championships, said 80 percent of funds released to sports administrators in the past for competitions were mismanaged and not accounted for, hence sponsors no longer show interest in finding sports programmes in Nigeria.
Gombe, who is the chairman of Gombe State Athletics Association, however declared that he was determined to change the narrative and restore the confidence and trust of sports sponsors in the country with prudent management of funds released for sports competitions.
He promised to source for sponsors to bankroll the subsequent editions of the Gombe State Principals Cup Football Competition and Athletics Championship.
“I will look for sponsors, either national or global brands to come and partner with us and take care of some aspects of our programmes, and I am sure we will get sponsors.
“The problem is that most of the funds released in the past for sports competitions in the country were not accounted for, no transparency and good governance, and that is why sponsors are running away. But we want to use these kinds of grassroots events to restore their confidence, regain the trust of the corporate world to come and sponsor sports events in Nigeria.
“So, we are starting from Gombe State, then to the North East region, Northern region and then go national,” he added.