The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has applauded the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for initiating the Niger Delta Sports Festival billed to take place between April 1 to 9, 2025, in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
Pastor Eno, who spoke during a courtesy visit by the NDDC Management team, led by the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, at the Akwa Ibom State Government House, Uyo, accepted the Commission’s invitation to host the festival.
The NDDC Chief Executive Officer was accompanied on the visit by the Executive Director Projects, Sir Victor Antai; the Executive Director Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde; the member representing Akwa Ibom State on the NDDC Board, Pastor Abasiandikan Nkono; and other Directors.
The Governor said: “Thank you for giving us the privilege to host this Sports Festival. We accept the invitation to host gladly.
“Thank you for recognising the work done in Akwa Ibom State. We have always said that our achievements combine several works from one leader to another. The international stadium you intend to use for the sports festival was built by the administration of the Senate President, Dr Godswill Akpabio. We have done our best to maintain the facility because it is one thing to execute a project and another to keep it up to standard many years after.”
“The festival will not just promote our diversity; it will promote our local economy because many business activities will go on during the festival.”
“We will set up a committee that will work with your team to ensure that we have a successful festival. We look forward to welcoming the Niger Delta people to Akwa Ibom so that we can have a good time together.”
Giving justification for the Sports Festival, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku,
stressed the festival’s significance in fostering unity and providing career pathways for young athletes.
He said the festival, which would take place at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, was part of the NDDC’s 25th-anniversary celebrations.
Ogbuku said: “We are here to talk about the Niger Delta Sports Festival. We have to work on our diversity and ensure that we have unity in diversity. We might be diverse in tongues, culture and tradition. Still, we are united as Niger Deltans because God has brought us together into one geographical region where we have common ecological and environmental challenges.”
“The creation of the NDDC aims to address most of these challenges. So, if there is one identity we have as the people of the Niger Delta, it is the NDDC. For that reason, we thought that the identity could not only be projected by carrying out road construction and other infrastructural development. To promote that identity, we must also build regional integration. In building and fostering regional integration, we thought it wise to come up with the maiden edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival.”
“Secondly, we need to harness the talents of our youths in sports; Niger Delta athletes and sportsmen lead the way. We have amateur athletes who can grow into professionals. Statistics show that Niger Deltans have dominated in so many sports in Nigeria. When it comes to athletics, Niger Delta has always been number one, winning medals even at the level of the Olympic games.”
He told the governor: “We are here to secure your partnership to ensure a successful festival. We are very optimistic because Akwa Ibom has the right facilities to accommodate the 20 sporting events planned fo the festival. The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium is a perfect venue for the festival.”
Ogbuku presented a letter formally requesting the Akwa Ibom State government to be a host and partner for the Sports Festival
