PORT HARCOURT – The Commissioners for Sports and Chairmen of Sports Commissions in the nine mandate states of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have commended the commission for initiating the Niger Delta Sports Festival, describing it as a transformative step for sports and human capital development in the region.
At a stakeholders’ meeting held at the NDDC Headquarters on Friday, January 31, delegates from the states expressed their excitement over the festival, calling it a major boost for sports in the Niger Delta.
Presiding over the meeting, Alabo Boma Iyaye, NDDC’s Executive Director of Finance and Administration and Chairman of the Planning Committee, noted that the festival was designed to sustain the region’s legacy of producing elite athletes. He highlighted its alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to elevate sports at the grassroots level.
Iyaye revealed that the commission had been working with project consultants, Dunamis Icon Limited, for months to finalise preparations. He emphasised the need for collaboration with state governments to discover and groom young talents, citing financial constraints in sports development.
“We considered it imperative to partner with and support the states for the discovery and grooming of talents into national and international stars and enable the region to tap into the global sports economy,” he said.
He further stated that preliminary trials and selections would begin at the local government and federal constituency levels, ensuring grassroots participation.
The sports commissioners from the nine states pledged full participation and urged the NDDC to sustain the festival as an annual event. The Rivers and Cross River Commissioners for Sports, Barrister Chris Green and Mrs Agnes Atsu, described the initiative as timely, saying it would bridge funding gaps in talent scouting, training, and competition.
Other officials in attendance included Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports, Daniel Igali, Imo State Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Obinna Onyeocha, and representatives from Edo, Abia, Delta, and Ondo states.
The meeting unanimously endorsed Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, as the host for the maiden edition, scheduled for April 1–9. It also approved the inclusion of traditional wrestling alongside Olympic-style wrestling.
Other events to be featured include Athletics, Basketball, Boxing, Canoeing, Chess, Football, Handball, Para-Athletics, Para-Powerlifting, Scrabble, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball, and Weightlifting.