Enugu State governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has officially announced the members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the highly anticipated 23rd National Sports Festival, set to take place in 2026.
In a statement, Governor Mbah emphasised that the appointed members were selected for their outstanding competence, excellence, and significant contributions to the sports sector. The Governor expressed full confidence in the committee’s ability to successfully organize the event.
The LOC will be chaired by Lloyd Ike Ekweremadu Jr., the Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Enugu State. Under Ekweremadu Jr.’s leadership, the committee aims to deliver a festival that meets international standards and showcases the state’s commitment to sports development.
The committee which includes a diverse group of seasoned sports administrators, each bringing a wealth of experience, are Bamiduro Olumide – former badminton champion; Mary Onyali – an Olympian; Aku Aghazu – accomplished lawyer specializing in sports management; Victor Okorie – elite athletes’ representative and member of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN); Blessing Chisalam Ekwe – Chief Operating Officer of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria and FIFA licensed agent; Davidson Owumi – COO of the Nigeria Professional Football League and former general manager of Enugu Rangers FC; Tony Ugwu – chairman of the Enugu Football Association; Henry Chinedu Okorie – executive member of the Nigeria Olympics Committee and chairman of the Nigeria Athletics Athletes Commission: Jonathan Nnaji – President of Nigeria’s Modern Pentathlon Federation and vice president of the Africa Modern Pentathlon Confederation; Boniface Onovo – director of Organizing at the Enugu State Ministry of Youth and Sports; Ephraim Ochonma; director of coaching at the Enugu State Ministry of Youth and Sports and Obiora Obasi – technical advisor to the Commissioner of Youth and Sports.
Governor Mbah expressed enthusiasm for what lies ahead, asserting that their collaboration will yield an outstanding and memorable National Sports Festival for athletes and spectators alike.
As the countdown to 2026 begins, the Enugu State government is committed to making this event a hallmark of sporting excellence in Nigeria.
