In what many are describing as a landmark moment for Nigerian sports, long jumper Ese Brume has become the very first athlete to receive a training grant from the newly established National Sports Commission (NSC). The 2024 Olympic bronze medallist was presented with the cheque on Thursday morning at the NSC headquarters in Abuja, marking the beginning of what officials hope will be a new era of direct support for elite athletes.
Brume, who has been a consistent medalist for Nigeria at major championships, could not hide her joy as she addressed journalists after the presentation.
“This support means a lot to me and to every Nigerian athlete out there. For years we have been struggling with funding, training abroad and basic logistics. Today, with this grant, I can now focus fully on training without financial worries. I want to thank President Tinubu, the Minister of Sports and especially Chairman Shehu Dikko for making this happen so quickly,” she said.
The grant, which runs into several millions of naira, will be used to cover her high-performance training camp in Europe, physiotherapy sessions, nutritional support and competition travel for the 2025 season. Brume is targeting a podium finish at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo later this year and has already begun working with her new technical team.
NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, who personally handed over the grant, said the decision to start with Brume was deliberate.
“Ese has shown consistency, discipline and results over the years. She is a role model for young athletes and we want to send a clear message that genuine performers will be supported. This is only the beginning. More grants will follow for deserving athletes across all sports in the coming weeks,” Dikko stated.
The development has been warmly welcomed by the athletics community. Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) president Tonobok Okowa described it as “a breath of fresh air”. “For the first time, we are seeing direct funding going to athletes rather than getting stuck in federation bureaucracy. This will motivate every young jumper, sprinter and thrower in Nigeria to work harder,” Okowa said.
Social media has been buzzing with positive reactions. Many fans pointed out that Brume’s bronze medal in Paris 2024 was one of the few highlights for Nigeria at the Olympics and she deserves every support to go one better in Tokyo. One Twitter user wrote: “Finally! Ese Brume getting the first NSC grant is the best news I have heard this year. More please!” Another fan added: “If they can do this for Ese, imagine what they can do for Tobi Amusan, Blessing Okagbare and the rest. Nigerian athletics is about to rise again.”
Brume revealed that part of the grant will also be used to support grassroots long jump programmes in her home state of Delta. “I don’t want to be the only one benefiting. I want to give back and help the next generation of jumpers coming behind me,” she said.
The NSC has already set up a special committee to review applications from other athletes. Sources say Tobi Amusan, the world 100m hurdles champion, and a few boxers and weightlifters are next in line. Stakeholders believe that if this transparent and direct funding model is sustained throughout 2025, Nigeria could return with a record medal haul at future global events. For Ese Brume, the journey to Tokyo has just received a massive boost and the entire nation will be watching her progress in the months ahead.
