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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has expressed the state’s readiness to host the next edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival, slated for February 2026.
He gave the assurance when the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Benin City.
Governor Okpebholo welcomed the NDDC’s proposal and pledged that Edo State would deliver a successful and memorable sports festival. “You have chosen the right state. We are not just the Heartbeat of the Nation for nothing. We have the strength, we have the athletes, and we have what it takes to win every sporting activity.”
He also appealed to the NDDC for partnership on the rehabilitation of the Agbor–Uromi Road, which he described as “not motorable”, stressing its importance for economic and social movement.
NDDC Managing Director, Chief Dr Samuel Ogbuku, congratulated Governor Okpebholo on his first year in office and commended his administration’s achievements, especially in sports and infrastructure. He explained that the visit was to formally seek Edo State’s hosting of the upcoming Niger Delta Games, themed “Beyond Oil: Harnessing Talents”.
Dr Ogbuku noted that the festival, whose maiden edition was held earlier this year with over 3,000 athletes from the nine Niger Delta States, was designed to strengthen regional integration using sports as a unifying tool.
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He emphasised the need for closer collaboration between the NDDC and state governments, noting that past tensions had slowed progress: “Your Excellency, NDDC is not a government. It is an interventionist agency. We must always work with state governors if we want to succeed. One of our greatest challenges was opposition from state governments, but we are bridging that gap.”
He highlighted ongoing and completed NDDC projects in Edo State, including work on erosion control, ecological challenges, and internal roads at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, and Edo State Polytechnic, Usen.
“We know these challenges are bigger than one state alone. That is why we seek partnership,” he added.
In closing, the Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission thanked the governor for his steadfast commitment to sports development.
With Edo’s advanced sporting facilities and renewed regional collaboration, the February festival is expected to attract athletes from Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, and other states, positioning Edo as a central hub for sports excellence in the Niger Delta.
Also present were the Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Dennis Idahosa; Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilo, Esq; Chief of Staff, Alhaji Gani Audu; Chairman, House Committee on Sports, Hon Okogbe Donald; and the Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Amadin Desmond Enabulele, among other officials.
