{
  "id": 6206728,
  "title": "NIS DG Philip Shaibu Urges Igoche Mark Not to Give up on Basketball Devt",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/nis-dg-philip-shaibu-urges-igoche-mark-not-to-give-up-on-basketball",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-08T01:22:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/08/nis-dg-philip-shaibu-urges-igoche-mark-not-to-give-up-on-basketball-devt/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, expressed gratitude to basketball promoter Igoche Mark for visiting the institute and assessing basketball coaches under Mark's sponsorship. Shaibu emphasized the NIS's shift towards being private sector-driven, acknowledging that government funding alone is unsustainable. He commended Mark's efforts to develop basketball in Nigeria and urged him not to give up on the sport. Mark, impressed by the transformation at the NIS, commended Shaibu's track record in sports development, particularly in Edo State. He expressed his intention to partner with the NIS to upscale the knowledge of basketball coaches transitioning from players to coaches. Mark also announced the soon-to-launch Mark D’ Ball Championship academy, where these coaches would receive certification. The NIS has recently opened six zonal centers across Nigeria, with Lagos and Abuja overseeing degree-awarding programs, while the zonal centers will offer Advanced Diploma and Diploma courses. State centers will handle basic certificate programs. Additionally, the institute introduced weekend programs and executive online classes, set to commence next year.",
  "summary": "The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, has urged basketball promoter and Initiator of the Mark D’ Ball Basketball",
  "key_points": [
    "NIS DG Philip Shaibu thanks Igoche Mark for basketball assessment.",
    "Shaibu praises Mark's basketball development efforts in Nigeria.",
    "Mark plans Mark D’ Ball Championship academy with NIS partnership."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The National Institute for Sports' pivot to private sector-driven operations, underscored by its partnership with Igoche Mark, signals a new era of collaborative sports development in Nigeria.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}