The Main Organising Committee (MOC) for the inaugural Niger Delta Sports Festival will be inaugurated on Friday, February 21, 2025, at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) headquarters in Port Harcourt.
Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, Chairman of Project Consultant Dunamis Icon and initiator of the festival, confirmed the inauguration follows the establishment of state liaison committees for the nine participating states.
Ikpokpo also stated that venue inspections have been completed, and work will begin this week to address any facility challenges. He emphasized the NDDC’s commitment to ensuring the festival becomes a major platform for identifying and nurturing sporting talent in the Niger Delta region.
“The necessary committees have been formed, and we are pleased that Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has agreed to host the event,” Ikpokpo noted.
The MOC will be chaired by Alabo Boma Iyaye, a former three-time Rivers State sports commissioner and current NDDC Executive Director of Finance and Administration. Ikpokpo will serve as co-chair of the committee.
State-level trials are already in motion, beginning at the local government level to select athletes who will compete at the festival in Uyo.