Financing Grassroots Sports Development in Nigeria: A Review of Public–Private Partnership Models

This study analysed the applicability of public–private partnership (PPP) models to the financing of grassroots sports development in Nigeria through an integrative narrative review and qualitative policy synthesis. Grassroots sports support mass participation, talent identification, public health and social development, yet their delivery in Nigeria remains constrained by unstable funding, weak infrastructure and limited institutional capacity. Evidence was synthesised from peer-reviewed studies and relevant policy literature, with attention to financing arrangements, institutional capacity, governance, private-sector participation and implementation conditions. The review found that PPPs can diversify funding, improve infrastructure delivery and expand participation, but their contribution in Nigeria has remained limited by fragmented policy implementation, weak contract-management capacity, inadequate transparency and the private sector’s preference for elite or commercially attractive sports. Comparative evidence further showed that effective sports PPPs require clear regulatory rules, transparent procurement, balanced risk allocation, measurable service obligations and sustained public oversight. The study developed an integrated pathway linking PPP financing to infrastructure, participation and talent development, subject to institutional and governance conditions. It concluded that PPPs offer a viable complementary financing strategy rather than a substitute for public responsibility. Nigeria should therefore adopt a sport-specific PPP framework, strengthen implementing institutions, standardise contracts and performance indicators, and create incentives tied to inclusive community-level outcomes.

Public–Private Partnerships, Grassroots Sports Development, Sports Financing

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