2026 Nigeria Oil Industry Games begin February 8 in Abuja

All arrangements have been concluded for the 2026 Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games (NOGIG), scheduled to hold from February 8 to 14 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Package B, Abuja.

Teams representing participating companies have already begun arriving in the Federal Capital Territory and have moved into training camps ahead of the multi-sports event. Chairman of the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee, Simon Nweke, confirmed that official arrival of contingents is expected between February 4 and 6.

“Arrival depends on individual companies, but we expect that from February 4 to 6 all contingents will be in Abuja,” Nweke said. “As we speak, some teams are already camping in Abuja and training hard ahead of the games. Every team wants to attain a podium finish, so we expect very competitive contests and the best from our athletes.”

According to him, more than 1,000 athletes representing 15 companies will compete at the week-long Games. Sports listed for the 2026 edition include chess, scrabble, snooker, volleyball, basketball, badminton, swimming, tennis, table tennis, athletics, and football finals, among others.

Participating organisations include the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

Others are Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, OANDO, TotalEnergies, ND Western, Aradel Holdings, ExxonMobil, Shell (SNEPCO), Seplat, Chevron and Nigeria LNG (NLNG).

Nweke disclosed that the Local Organising Committee (LOC) has continued to work closely with national sports federations to ensure technical excellence at the Games.

“From the beginning, NOGIG has always partnered with sports federations for technical support, including referees, umpires and other officials, to ensure the Games are conducted in line with best practices,” he said. “We play by the rules and we will not deviate from those standards.”

On the opening ceremony, Nweke assured Nigerians of a colourful spectacle, revealing that chief executives of participating companies and top government officials are expected to attend.

“We are ready,” he stated, adding that the Indoor Sports Hall at Package B has been fully decorated ahead of the official kick-off.