The Commissioners for Sports and Chairmen of Sports Commissions in the nine mandate states of the Nigeria Delta Development Commission, NDDC, have hailed the leadership of the commission for establishing the Niger Delta Sports Festival, saying it will greatly impact sports and human capital development across the region.

At a stakeholders’ meeting of the NDDC with the head of sports in the states, held at the NDDC Headquarters on Friday, January 31, the delegates unanimously expressed their excitement at the intervention of the NDDC in the region’s sports sector, especially with the initiative of the competition, which they described as the greatest thing to happen to sports in the region.

Presiding over the meeting, Alabo Boma Iyaye, Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the NDDC, also the Chairman of the Planning Committee and former Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, revealed that the project was conceived in recognition of the fact while the Niger Delta produces a huge percentage of Nigeria’s elite sports men and women, there is urgent need to sustain their output in order to elevate the fortunes of both the region and the nation’s sports, in line with the objectives and drive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said the NDDC had been working with the Project Consultants, Dunamis Icon Limited, for several months, and having achieved several milestones in the preparations, the meeting was called to properly brief the state sports commissioners so that all the stakeholders will be on the same page.

“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 effectively tap into the global sports economy,” he declared.

“We cannot over emphasize the role of sports in the transformation of society, but we recognise that while various state governments are interested in sports, there are funding difficulties due to the competing demands of other sectors. Considering that the Niger Delta states produce the largest number of Nigeria’s elite athletes, the nation suffers if they stop producing.

“So as the NDDC marks its 25th year anniversary, we thought it wise to start with the introduction of the Niger Delta Sports Festival to provide a platform for our teeming youngsters to showcase their talents, and with plans to continue to groom them through support for training and participation in competitions.

“In doing this, one of our major objectives is to drive sports bottom-up from the grassroots, to provide opportunities for our rural folks. In this regard, we have decided that the preliminary trials and selection process shall commence from the local government and federal constituencies.”

Welcoming the development, all the states of the NDDC declared their readiness to participate in the festival and pleaded with the NDDC to sustain it as an annual event.

According to the Rivers and Cross River States Commissioners for Sports, Barrister Chris Green and Mrs Agnes Atsu, the introduction of the Niger Delta Sports Festival is by the hand of God and an answer to the prayers of both sports administrators, coaches, athletes, fans and the entire people of the region, as it will cushion the gap in the funding of talent hunt, training, provision of facilities and competitions by the state governments.

Also in attendance were Bayelsa and Imo States Commissioner for Sports, Daniel Igali and Hon Obinna Onyeocha, the Permanent Secretaries of Akwa Ibom and Rivers State Ministries of Sports, Lady Nsa Bassey and Mr Kelvin Nweke, while the Commissioners for Sports of Edo, Abia, Delta and Ondo states were represented, respectively, by the Executive Director of Edo State Sports Commission, Hon Frank Ilaboya, the Special Assistant to the Governor of Abia State, Hon Onyebuchi Chukwu, the Director of Administration, Delta State Sports Commission, Omajajah Onoriode, and the Director of Planning, Research and Innovation as well as the General Manager of Ondo State Sports Council, Mr Akin Kayode and Joseph Fagite.

The Project Consultants team led by its Chairman Sir Itiako Ikpokpo Ksm, included Mr Fred Edoreh, Director of Organisation, and Mr Seigha Porbeni, Co-Head, Technical Directorate.

Other members of the team include Mr Yusuf Ali, Head of Competitions, Enefiok Udo-Obong, Co-Head Technical, Dr Ochuko Igbigbisie, Head of Facilities, Ono Akpe, Sponsorship and Marketing, Onome Obruthe, Special Duties, Harry Iwuala, Communications, Innocent Afereha, Finance and Accounts, and Tessie Ineke, Head Secretariat.

The highlight of the occasion was a presentation by the Project Consultants, following which the meeting unanimously endorsed Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, as host of the maiden edition, the schedule of April 1 to 9 for the event and the inclusion of traditional wrestling alongside Olympic style wrestling as part of the competition.

Other events include Athletics, Basketball, Boxing, Canoeing, Chess, Football, Handball, Para-Athletics, Para-Powerlifting, Scrabble, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball and Weightlifting.