Niger Delta Games Committees Urged To Mobilise For Athletes Registration

Sir Malik Ikpokpo KSM, Managing Director of Dunamis Icon Limited and Project Consultant for the 2nd Niger Delta Games (NDG), has called on state liaison committees to ensure the registration of their athletes and coaches on the official games portal. He stressed that the 2026 games are exclusively for athletes under 20 years old.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Akwa Ibom State Liaison Committee, and represented by veteran journalist and Games Project Director Mr Fred Edoreh, Ikpokpo stated, “Members of the various state committees must mobilise for the registration of their athletes on the games’ portal, as non-registered athletes will be denied clearance to participate.”

Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Elder Paul Bassey, described the Niger Delta Games as a crucial enabler for youth sports development, aligning with the state government’s vision for grassroots empowerment. He commended the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Dunamis Icon Limited for their collaboration in initiating and sustaining the games for two consecutive years.

Bassey remarked, “The upcoming event is a veritable platform for the discovery and development of talents. It is the mandate of His Excellency, the Governor of Akwa Ibom state, for us to go to the grassroots and discover talents, and these games have come to help us achieve exactly that.” He assured organisers of the committee’s commitment to “quality, thoroughness, discipline and total compliance.”

The Akwa Ibom Liaison Committee is chaired by the Commissioner for Sports, with Mr Mfon Bassey serving as secretary. Other members include Olympian Catherine Ewa, George Essien, and Edidiong Stephen. The committee is tasked with pre-games coordination and logistical planning to ensure Team Akwa Ibom’s smooth participation.