Barriers to Sport and Recreational Physical Activity in Nigerian Higher Education: A Narrative Review and Proposed Campus Framework

Sport and recreational physical activity support student health, social inclusion and institutional sustainability goals. Students in Nigerian higher education nevertheless encounter structural and social barriers that limit regular participation. This narrative review synthesises peer-reviewed Nigerian empirical studies and selected international reviews published mainly between 2019 and 2025. Sources were identified through purposive searches of Google Scholar, ResearchGate, publisher platforms and Nigerian journal sites using combinations of Nigeria, tertiary or university, sport, recreation, physical activity and barriers, with a final update in October 2025. Inclusion favoured empirical studies of tertiary students reporting barriers or participation patterns. Four interrelated barrier domains were synthesised from the literature: inadequate funding and resource allocation; limited, unsafe or poorly maintained facilities; academic workload, timetable conflicts and time poverty; and social, cultural, gender-related and institutional constraints. These domains reflect institutional planning and governance weaknesses more than individual deficits alone. Drawing on a socio-ecological perspective and the COM-B model, the paper proposes a six-element campus framework centred on predictable funding, inclusive facilities, protected and flexible activity time, student participation, accountable partnerships and routine monitoring. The framework is presented as an untested proposal requiring local evaluation. Nigerian higher institutions should treat campus sport as core student-welfare infrastructure rather than residual extracurricular provision.