The 19th edition of the National Sports Festival, Nigeria’s biggest sporting event and one of the biggest sports festivals in West Africa is to kick-off on December 6, 2018 in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, after six years of inactivity.
It is also heartwarming that the private sector is involved in the organization, management and marketing of the forthcoming event, for the first time since its inception in 1973.
The development no doubt, would eliminate all public service bureaucracies and bottlenecks that had marred the staging of the event in the past.
The forthcoming festival is staged under the auspices of NSF Marketing and Management Company Limited, a joint venture company between the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and Greenfield Assets Limited, a private sector partner.
This innovative arrangement brings in new efficiencies to the effective and prompt hosting of this event going forward; unlike in the past when some designated host states like Cross River State failed to meet the requirements and time lines for hosting of the festival.
This state of affairs led to a six year gap in the staging of the festival.
All those hiccups are now in the past with the coming on board of the new management company.
Our sports men, women and other stakeholders can look forward to a new era of outstanding sporting achievements and discoveries under the present arrangement, Ugo Umeseaka, managing director, National Sports Festival Management Committee (NSFMMC), observes.
According to Umeseaka, “All the essentials are in place for the successful hosting of the festival, as the states are eager to participate, having concluded their zonal championships, across the six geo-political zones of the country, for the selection of their representatives”.
He explained that over 12,000 athletes and officials would participate in the event that is expected to draw thousands of sports lovers and fun seekers from within and outside of the country to the event venues.
The National Sports Festival, Abuja 2018 will feature 37 sports including notable sports, like Athletics, Badminton, Chess as well as Para-sports.
The event since inception in 1973, has provided a robust platform for cultural and national unification, coupled with the vast potential of discovering and developing local sports talents.
Sports stakeholders in the country are of the view that there is no other sports event in West Africa that provides the excitement, diversity and recognition like Nigeria’s National Sports Festival.
Consequently, this year’s event, would be a bouquet of sports, culture, entertainment and fanfare, which is geared towards accomplishing sports development, cultural unification, tourism potential and excitement that it was created to achieve.
Activities for the festival was flagged off in September, 2018 with a press conference, anchored by Solomon Dalung, minister of Youth and Sports Development, with the crème de la crème in the sports circles, as well as private sector partners, Greenfield Assets Limited, and other stakeholders in attendance.
As part of the activities lined up for the 58th Independence anniversary of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, inaugurated the Torch of Unity, for the 19th edition of the NSF, at the State House, Abuja on October 1, 2018.
The President was supported, by an array of dignitaries, such as the Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung; the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello; the Managing Director of Greenfield Assets, Paul Obanua; sporting legends – Falilat Ogunkoya and Chika Chukwumerije and other top government officials and personalities.
Subsequently, the Torch is presently moving round the 36 states of the federation. At the last count it has visited over 18 states and will cover the entire country before the commencement of the games on December 6, 2018.
GODFREY OFURUM
