17 States Confirm Plans To Host Olympic Day

As the countdown to June 28, 2025 begins, 17 states across Nigeria have confirmed their participation in the upcoming Olympic Day celebrations. This annual event aims to promote fitness and sports participation nationwide.

The states set to organise this year’s Olympic Day activities include: Edo, Plateau, Ondo, Taraba, Enugu, Delta, Kwara, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Anambra, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Kogi, Gombe, Osun, Imo, and Lagos State, which currently houses the secretariat of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).

Public relations officer for the NOC, Tony Nezianya, announced the plans in a statement released on Wednesday. He indicated that the events will showcase a variety of demonstration sports and activities tailored to individual and group interests.

Among the activities scheduled are jogging and walking sessions designed to promote calorie burning, muscle toning, overall health, and stress reduction.

Previous Olympic Day celebrations featured 10-kilometre and 5-kilometre races, which some participants found restrictive. In response to popular demand from advocates of the Olympic Movement, this year’s celebration has been expanded to include a wider range of sports, aiming to attract a broader audience.

The event has transformed into a mass movement focused on promoting fitness for all, according to Austin Odigie, the Coordinating Officer for the Sport for All Commission.

Dr Abdul Ibrahim, Chairman of the NOC Sport for All Commission and President of the Weightlifting Federation of Nigeria, has urged the governments of the 17 states to actively engage in this inclusive fitness programme. He encouraged those unable to participate this year to view this annual event as an opportunity to mobilise the community and promote sports engagement for improved fitness.

Engr Habu Gumel, President of the NOC, will officially launch the event at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, marking a significant occasion in the national sporting calendar.