The Enugu State Government has promised to organised a quality 23rd National Sports Festival (NSF) in December 2026 in the state.
Lloyd Ekweremadu, Commissioner for Sports in the State, said this at a news conference in Abeokuta on Thursday.
Ekweremadu said the state was impressed with the level of organisation put in place by the Ogun government, noting that it had become a standard for future festivals, especially the 23rd edition.
He said Enugu State was one of the safest states in Nigeria as Gov. Peter Mba had addressed the situation and brought the sit-at-home menace to a permanent end.
According to him, Enugu is very ready, we have been here and we have seen what happened here.
“I must say that Ogun has done well, we assure that you can expect a better deal in Enugu,” he said.
The commissioner said the state would work with the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) at both the national and state levels to ensure that adequate accommodation and seamless movement of journalists was provided.
He also said that the sports festival in Enugu would be a pilgrimage experience for visitors as there would be a lot of sites to visit.
According to him, the places to visit included Awhum Waterfalls, Nsude Pyramid, Forest Park in Ngwo and Okpatu hills among others.
Responding, Isaiah Benjamin, President of SWAN commended Enugu State for the bold steps of hosting the festival and wished them a good outing.
Benjamin urged the commissioner and the organiser to accord priority to the media and ensure that SWAN was an integral part of the planning process, especially as it concerns media accreditation.
He promised the collaboration of SWAN with the Enugu State government, National Sports Commission (NSC) and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the game succeeded.
The sports festival which started on May 16 will end on May 30.