In recent years, many African athletes have recorded outstanding performances at worldclass
competitions, but controversy exists concerning the extent to which these
performances are consistent with the status of youth sports development in African
countries. In this study, youth sport programmes in Botswana and Nigeria were evaluated
and compared. Structured interviews carried out in both countries were analysed
qualitatively in the following broad areas: youth sport policy, management structure,
development programme, government’s role, political interference, role of physical
education and implementation problems. Findings indicated that in both countries, youth
sport programmes are mainly targeted at schools, but comparatively little provision is made
for the sporting interests of out-of-school and disabled youths. Botswana currently lacks a
national youth sport policy and this negatively impacts on systematic planning and
development of youth sports programmes in the country. In Nigeria, where a youth sport
policy and clearly defined management structures exist, youth sport development is
constrained mainly by political and economic problems. The status of youth sport
development in Nigeria is fairly consistent with the widely acclaimed international
performances by Nigerian athletes. Implications of the findings for youth sport development
in both countries are discussed.