Akwa Ibom To Prioritise Future Champions At Niger Delta Games

Akwa Ibom is set to focus on athlete discovery and nurturing future talent at the 2nd Niger Delta Games, scheduled to take place in Benin, Edo State, from 20th to 27th February.

Elder Paul Bassey, the state’s Commissioner for Sports, outlined this strategic approach on Saturday while discussing preparations for the regional competition, sponsored by the Niger Delta Games. He also confirmed that Akwa Ibom has registered 476 athletes and 64 coaches on the official portal for the event, which will feature contingents from eight other states. Participant registration closed on Friday, with states now tasked with conducting trials to finalise their teams for Benin.

Mrs. Cathrine Ewa, Akwa Ibom State Director of Coaching, reported that profiles for 250 male and 226 female athletes, alongside 44 male and 20 female coaches, were successfully uploaded to the Niger Delta Games central registration portal.

While optimistic about the state’s performance at the games, Bassey reiterated the priority of identifying athletes for the future.

“We have complied with the regulations bordering on eligibility of athletes by registering teenagers and youngsters, and for us, while it is important to win as many gold medals as possible at the games, we are also going to be placing a lot of emphasis on unearthing new talents in order to enrich our pool of sports stars for future endeavours,” he stated.

This means Akwa Ibom is focusing on long-term athlete development rather than solely on immediate medal wins.

Akwa Ibom hosted the inaugural edition of the games in April 2025. The Niger Delta Games is an initiative of Dunamis-Icon Limited, with Sir Itiako Ikpokpo (KSM), Chairman of the Delta State Athletics Association, serving as Lead Consultant.