The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has commended Sunshine Schools, Ibadan, for successfully hosting a three-day Sports Administration Course (SAC) in the ancient city.

Organised by Olympic Solidarity and the NOC in collaboration with Dynaspro Sports and Sunshine Schools, the programme brought together key sports stakeholders including Directors of Sports, Sports Officers, Heads of Sports Departments, Sports Marketers, and Games Masters.

More than 20 participants from within and outside Oyo State took part in the training, which was facilitated by International Olympic Committee (IOC)-certified officials.

NOC General Manager, Emmanuel Nwaneri, praised Sunshine Schools for providing a conducive atmosphere and for engaging coaches and managers across the state.

“I must commend Sunshine Schools for this initiative. They invited coaches and managers from different sectors to be part of the programme. It’s very encouraging and impressive that it goes beyond the school itself, empowering academies and coaches within Oyo State. This is grassroots sports development,” he said.

He explained that the SAC is an IOC initiative through its Olympic Solidarity Department, designed to empower sports administrators and managers at local and national levels with best practices in sports management.

“We have partner schools where we run these programmes as part of Olympic education. Sunshine Schools collaborated with us to empower sports managers, coaches, and administrators in Oyo State, and that’s why we are here,” Nwaneri added.

CEO of Sunshine Schools, Temitayo Williams, described the training as part of the school’s vision to integrate sports into its curriculum.

“Sports has always been a long-term dream for this school. Hosting this programme is like an answer to prayer. “

Our next step is establishing the Sunshine Sports Academy. We believe sports is central to our vision, and to achieve it, we must embrace experts in the field. However, there is still a big gap in nurturing school talents to help them reach stardom,” she said.

Programme Director at NOC, Prof. Fasan Clement, urged other schools nationwide to emulate Sunshine Schools by equipping sports handlers with modern coaching techniques and management skills.

Participants described the course as an eye-opener, noting that the knowledge gained would help them administer sports more effectively in line with global standards.

The initiative, part of the IOC’s global educational programme through Olympic Solidarity, aims to equip sports administrators with essential tools to drive development and excellence. It also expands participants’ understanding of the Olympic Movement, the Olympic Games, and the management of sports organisations.

Attendees were trained on Olympic values, principles of good governance, and effective organisational management, with the ultimate goal of strengthening support systems for athletes.