Organisers have revealed that over 3000 athletes will be taking part in about 17 different sports at the inaugural Niger Delta Sports Festival scheduled to hold in Akwa Ibom between April 1 to 16,2025.
A member of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), Fred Edoreh made this known shortly after the members were inaugurated at the weekend in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Also, 600 coaches and 500 officials are primed to take part in the competition which will hold among the main nine oil producing states in the delta region.
The states include Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayeslsa, Delta, Imo , Abia as well as Edo , Anambra and Ondo.
Niger Delta Sports Festival Organising Committee Co- Chairman, Alabo Boma Iyaye who doubles as the Executive Director Finance and Administration at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) charged colleagues to ensure that they organise a successful festival that will be a benchmark for the region in the country.
Inside the unique conference hall featuring promotional banners of the games, the first in Nigeria, stakeholders oozed with enthusiasm and engaged in animated discussions of their expectations for the games.
Iyaye remarked that the NDDC was marking its 25th anniversary with the first intervention in sports which is aimed at offering youths in the nine mandate states the platform to engage their minds and curb delinquent behaviours.
“The region is known for providing over 60 percent of sportsmen and women who represent Nigeria at international sports events and we have observed a decline in the numbers.
“The NDDC therefore resolved to reverse the decline by supporting the festival to offer the youths a platform to find expression for their talents”, Iyaye told the gathering which included Sports Commissioners from the nine member states.
He assured the youths that the Commission will not relent in supporting the festival in the future to sustain a steady discovery and nurturing of identified talents.
Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports and Chairman of the NDDC body of states Commissioners for Sports, Daniel Igali commended the Commission for the initiative which he said will enable the states to reclaim their front line role in contributing champions to the country’s sports contingents in all games.
NDSF MOC Co-Chairman, Itiako Ikpokpo assured the NDDC that the Festival is on course to meet and surpass set objectives.
“We are at the very important stage in the implementation of the festival plans. Facilities are being renovated and upgraded. Members have been up and running to ensure a resounding success for the festival which promises to be high in the quality of organisation”, he promised on behalf of the members.
The nine state’s Commissioners of sports are members of the MOC which also has some management staff of the NDDC, a representative of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and those of Dunamis Icon, consultants to the project.