SPORTS
Niger Delta Sports Festival Set To Launch, Boosts Regional Talent
By Eunice Nnachi in Yenagoa
UYO, AKWA IBOM STATE – The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is preparing to launch the Niger Delta Sports Festival, a major initiative aimed at developing athletic talent and driving human capital development in the region.
The announcement, made at a stakeholders’ meeting at NDDC headquarters, has sparked widespread enthusiasm among state sports commissioners in all nine NDDC states.
The festival, set for April 1st to 9th, 2025, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, will coincide with the NDDC’s 25th anniversary.
Alabo Boma Iyaye, Executive Director of Finance and Administration at the NDDC and chairman of the planning committee, emphasised the project’s alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasising the Niger Delta’s significant contribution to Nigeria’s elite athletes and the importance of maintaining this output.
“The Niger Delta produces a large percentage of Nigeria’s elite athletes and women,” Iyaye stated. “This festival is critical to sustaining that pipeline and improving the fortunes of both regional and national sports.”
Iyaye revealed that the NDDC will cover 95% of the festival’s expenses, and urged state commissioners to form organising committees to ensure effective planning.
He emphasised the importance of grassroots development, with initial trials beginning at the local government level.
Athletics, basketball, boxing, canoeing, chess, football, handball, para-athletics, para-powerlifting, scrabble, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, and, most notably, Olympic-style and traditional wrestling will all be featured at the festival.
State commissioners expressed overwhelming support for the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention addressing the funding challenges that state governments face in sports development.
Barrister Chris Green (Rivers State) and Mrs. Agnes Atsu (Cross River State) described the festival as “an answer to prayers,” recognising its critical role in talent identification, training, and competition provision.
The meeting was attended by representatives from all nine NDDC states, including commissioners and officials from Bayelsa, Imo, Edo, Abia, Delta, and Ondo.
The Project Consultants, Dunamis Icon Limited, presented their plans, which were unanimously approved, confirming Uyo as the host city and the dates of April 1-9th.
The Niger Delta Sports Festival is poised to not only discover and develop new sporting talent, but also significantly contribute to the region’s socioeconomic development by providing a much-needed platform for young athletes to shine.
The commissioners’ unanimous request that the festival become an annual event highlights its potential long-term impact.
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