Niger Delta sports festival

I like the theme of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF 2025) currently going on in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State – Beyond Oil: Harnessing Talents. The sports festival is the brainchild of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and it is the first of its kind.

The Niger Delta Development Commission has played very significant roles with many impactful interventions in the lives of communities in the nine states under its mandate, namely Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers – covering the entire Southern region of Nigeria with representation across the South East, South South and South West. The main objective was to ensure that the resources derived from these states are directly felt and enjoyed by their people.

Oil has been Nigeria’s main stay for many years and the latest thinking is about the diversification of the economy and less dependence on the ‘black gold’, as crude oil is called. However, the current realities are that oil will remain our premium resource and biggest asset for a long time to come. So from the days of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) to the present day NDDC, the objective has not changed, which is to make every Nigerian, especially those living in oil producing communities, enjoy what is extracted from their land.

The interventions (from both PTF and NDDC) were meant to make up for the environmental degradation, pollution, spillage and other negative consequences of the massive exploration activities holding on their land. So, despite all the challenges associated with the administration of the NDDC down the years, there can be no denying the fact that there have been so many positive interventions across all spheres of life in most of their communities.

Now relating this to sports, the concept of a Niger Delta Sports Festival is relevant and hugely beneficial in many ways. The leading states in Nigeria in terms of sports talent discovery and achievements in domestic and international competitions, at least in recent times, are the Niger Delta states. This is so easy to validate. Just take a look at the top states on the medals table of the National Sports Festival (NSF), National Youth Games (NYG) and more recently, National Para Games. You may extend this further to intercollegiate games like the Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA), the Nigeria Polytechnic Games (NIPOGA) and those of the Nigeria Colleges of Education Games (NICEGA). Given these antecedents, the decision of the NDDC to start a sports festival is a game changer for sports development in Nigeria.

Although not the first regional sports festival in Nigeria (that record is proudly reserved for the DAWN games or the South West region), this Niger Delta Sports Festival scores its own first in a unique way as it is a multi-region sports festival. Given the fact that at least states from three regions are part of it, it is bigger and more significant in scope than a regional sports festival. The planning, organisation and media buzz around it have also underlined the seriousness that its initiators have attached to it.

The Chairman, Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the Niger Delta Sports Festival, Alabo Boma Iyaye, who is also the Executive Director, Finance and Administration in the NDDC, says the aim of the games is to ensure that it remains the leading contributor of sports talents for Nigeria.

According to Iyaye, “60-70 per cent of athletes who represent Nigeria in international competitions are from the Niger Delta and we have observed a decline in the quality of our performances in recent times, so we want to ensure we keep that talent conveyor belt working so we can keep churning out talents that will go on to do Nigeria proud at global meets.

Iyaye also said: “We will not just provide the platform to discover these talents, we hope to groom them and give them exposure.”

With over 3,000 athletes, 500 coaches and technical officials and 200 journalists already in Uyo following and reporting the intense competitions in 17 different events, it is obvious that this is the second largest assemblage of the country’s sporting talents at a single multi sports event, second only to the main National Sports Festival. The appointment of accomplished former national athletes by the organisers as tournament ambassadors and mentors is another ‘sweetener’ worth commending. Seeing living legends like Nwankwo Kanu, Emmanuel Amuneke, Victor Ikpeba, Blessing Oborodudu, Seun Ogunkoya and Enefiok Udo-Obong who doubles as the Tournament Director, is extra motivation and inspiration for the participants.

The challenge for the NDDC will be the sustainability of the project, hoping that the excitement and enthusiasm seen with this first edition can be carried on for a long time. Another issue will be in the area of nurturing the talents discovered at the festival. There is no doubt about the availability of talents in the country, but where there is usually a gap is in the monitoring, development, management and exposure of the talents in a conducive environment so they can fulfill their potential. This is one area where the grassroots and elite athletes departments of the National Sports Commission would play a key role.

And then, this could be an eye opener for the other regions to provide opportunities and platforms of this kind for their athletes. The south-west region that started this initiative many years ago now has to upscale, raise the bar and become really deliberate about its developmental programmes. Other regions, especially the north, also need to awaken from slumber and take up the challenge of investing massively in grassroots sports.

The dangers of neglecting these calls could see a movement of the best sports talents from places where there are no opportunities for growth and exposure to the areas that could afford them the chance to fulfill their dreams.

Let’s end with this truth:
Positively engaging the youth with sports could be the long term solution to the vices and crimes like banditry, terrorism, armed robbery, kidnapping and other forms of violence currently rampaging our nation. So as the youths of the Niger Delta take centre stage in Uyo in the next few days, may their exploits lead to the discovery of the next generation of world class athletes that would turn Nigeria’s sporting fortunes around.