Elo Akose, the winner of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) logo design competition, has expressed delight to see his work gaining national traction through extensive media campaign as preparations for the festival heightens.

Akose, who received a reward of N250,000 prize money, commended the organisers of the contest for providing a platform for youths to showcase their artistic talents in design.

Akose’s entry emerged the best from over 300 others that were submitted to a panel of judges set up by the project consultants, Dunamis Icon, weeks ago. The design has since been officially put to use.

“I counted myself lucky to have had my entry selected from the over 300 submitted by other contestants and would like to thank the organisers of the Niger Delta Sports Festival for the opportunity given to all of us, the contestants to be part of this project,” Akose told NDSF Media.

Akose works with Smax Digital Prints and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education (Economics) from the Delta State University.

The NDSF, the first intervention of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as part of its 25th anniversary, will hold in Akwa Ibom State from April 1 to 9. Over 3,000 athletes are expected to participate in 17 sports.

The Director General, Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, has urged the athletes to give their best as Team Lagos compete at the Southwest Zonal Eliminations for the 22nd National Sports Festival – ‘Gateway Games 2024’ billed for May in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Team Lagos athletes will compete against their counterparts from Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti in the team sports when hostilities resume on Tuesday as the state’s contingents arrived Ibadan, Oyo State for the four-day event holding at Ilaji Sports & Resort, Akanran and Adamasigba Stadium.

Addressing the athletes before the team departed Lagos, Fatodu admonished the athletes to make the state proud and reflect excellence on and off the pitch.

Director General, Lekan Fatodu

The Director General described Lagos as a shining example of sporting excellence in the country due to the commitment, dedication, forthrightness in athletes’ management, and providing an enabling environment for talents identification and development.

He added that dedication, commitment, trust, optimism and discipline are what stand the athletes out as a professional across different sports, adding that Lagos is a special state among many states in Nigeria and as disciplined sportsmen and women, they need to imbibe the culture of sportsmanship in order to reach high pedestal of their career.

He further highlighted that the issue of athletes poaching has become a thing of the past as the state will not rest on its oars in ensuring that athletes get the necessary support, facilities and equipment to continuously improve and achieve success in their chosen careers.

No fewer than 208 athletes and 15 accompanying technical officials are representing Lagos at the Southwest Zonal qualifiers for ball games. Football, Basketball, Handball, Volleyball, Cricket, Hockey, Beach Volleyball and Abula are sports Team Lagos will be participating in to get qualifying slots in both male and female categories.