Edo’s success story of Niger Delta Games 2026

Hosts Edo State lived up to their pre-Games promise by emerging overall champions of the second edition of the Niger Delta Games, which concluded in Benin City in the final week of February 2026.Competing at the Heartbeat of the Nation, athletes from nine Niger Delta states battled for honours across 16 sports, with a total of 538 medals won during the week-long spectacle. While Edo topped the medals table, organisers maintained that the true victory lay in the successful staging of the Games and the steady growth of the regional sporting festival. Lead Consultant of Dunamis Icon Ltd, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, described the 2026 edition as another important step in the evolution of the Games.

“Every edition is an experience and you just try to make sure that the issues that come up are properly addressed as we get better,” Ikpokpo told journalists at the close of competition.He added that the Games’ inclusion on the World Athletics calendar underscores its growing international relevance, stressing the organisers’ commitment to meeting global standards.Despite finishing second overall, Delta State produced some of the standout performers of the Games.Chibueze Osama and Ejiro Peter powered Delta’s athletics campaign with an astonishing seven gold medals each. Both athletes completed the sprint treble — 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay — in their respective categories before combining to secure another gold in the mixed 4x100m relay.Akwa Ibom’s David Udoh also impressed, clinching three gold medals in the men’s 400m, 4x400m relay and mixed 4x400m relay events, confirming his status as one of the region’s brightest quarter-milers.For the hosts, Joy Peremoboere Kimikiagha shone in swimming with multiple gold medals across several days of competition.One of the most remarkable feats came from Bayelsa’s Godfrey Terry, who struck gold in the 65kg wrestling category before returning a day later to help the state’s men’s handball team defeat Delta 26–24 in the final, earning his second gold medal of the Games.Beyond the medal count, the 2026 edition was defined by inspiring redemption stories.Fourteen-year-old Hephzibah Gabriel-Okon of Akwa Ibom staged one of the most memorable turnarounds, upgrading from a fourth-place finish in the women’s 800m in 2025 to gold in Benin City.In boxing, Rivers State’s Joshua Solomon Nweke improved on his silver medal performance in Uyo by claiming gold in the men’s 70kg category after defeating Edo’s Bartholomew Gifted in a dominant display.Handball also produced dramatic reversals. Bayelsa avenged their 2025 loss to Delta by winning the men’s final, while Imo State emerged champions in the women’s category, defeating both Bayelsa and Delta en route to a final victory over Edo.Team Edo’s triumph was built on depth and consistency. The hosts amassed 111 medals in total, including 52 gold — ten more than Bayelsa secured to win the maiden edition in 2025.Delta finished second for the second consecutive edition, mounting a late surge that saw them win three of the final four athletics gold medals on offer during the closing ceremony.

Akwa Ibom emerged as the most improved state, claiming 16 gold medals — seven more than their 2025 tally — and increasing their overall medal count to 55.Rivers State recorded the sharpest decline, managing six gold medals — 15 fewer than they won at the inaugural Games in Uyo — while Imo slipped to the bottom of the medals table despite securing one gold fewer than the previous edition.With improved organisation, rising stars, and growing international recognition, the second Niger Delta Games reinforced its position as a vital platform for talent discovery and regional sporting excellence.