AVAILABILITY OF SPORTS RESOURCES AS PREDICTORS OF SPORTS DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIAN FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES

Sports resources are financial, human, physical, and informational assets used to support and promote sports participation and performance. However, resources which could facilitate the realisation of these goals seem to be either inadequate. This study, therefore, examined the availability of sports resources as predictors of sports development in Nigerian federal universities. The objectives of the study were to determine if the availability of sports facilities, sports equipment, sports personnel and sports funds could predict sports development among federal universities in Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population of the study was sports stakeholders in federal universities in Nigeria. A sample of 779 was selected through a multistage sampling procedure. A researcher-developed questionnaire, validated by three experts, was used as an instrument for the study. The reliability of the instrument was established through a pilot study conducted using the split-half method, and a coefficient of 0.76 was obtained. Inferential statistics of multiple regression were used to test the formulated hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study were that availability of sports facilities (β = 0.197, t = 6.367, p<0.001), sports equipment (β = 0.092, t = 2.398, p=0.017), sports personnel (β = 0.263, t = 5.962, p<0.001) and sports funds (β = 0.335, t = 8.737, p<0.001) were significant predictors of sports development; The study concluded that availability of sports resources could predict sports development in federal universities in Nigeria. The study therefore recommended that the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) should provide support and resources to federal universities to enhance sports development.