By Fred Edoreh
In the quiet of his Asaba home, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo convened a small group of like-minded individuals, united by a deep concern for the state of Nigerian sports. The urgency of their gathering was underscored by Team Nigeria’s disheartening return from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games — without a single medal to show.
Reflecting on past triumphs, Ikpokpo recalled that Nigeria’s only two medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics had come from Delta and Bayelsa State athletes, Ese Brume and Blessing Oboro- dudu. He reminisced about the golden era of Nigerian football in the 1990s — when the Super Eagles claimed the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, quali ed for their rst FIFA World Cup in the same year, and clinched gold
in football at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics — a time when the team was heavily composed of talents from the Niger Delta.
Icons such as Stephen Keshi, Augustine Eguavoen, Finidi George, Samson Siasia, Sunday Oliseh, Austin Okocha, Victor Ikpeba, and others from the region were the backbone of those victorious squads. Likewise, the women’s national team — led by Florence Omagbemi and including names like Mercy Akide and Perpetua Nkwocha — ourished with players from clubs such as Pelican Stars, Ufuoma Babes, Rivers Angels, and Delta Queens.
Beyond football, the region produced champions in boxing, athletics, weightlifting, tennis, and para sports — from Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey to Chioma Ajunwa, Ene ok Udo-Obong, Nduka Odizor, Blessing Okagbare, and many more. Ikpokpo lamented the loss of vibrant platforms like the Ogbe Hard Court, once a hub of competitive energy and international attention.
“Clearly, things have fallen apart,” he stated. “We can’t merely bemoan our misfortunes or fault administrators. Everyone who loves sports and understands its societal value must act, from wherever they stand. We must reclaim and sustain the Niger Delta’s leadership in Nigerian sports — for the good of our people and the nation.”
Though Ikpokpo is better known as a politician and entrepreneur — a former Students Union President of the University of Port Harcourt, two-time Chairman of Isoko South LGA, and Director-General of ALGON — his commitment to grassroots sports has been steadfast. Through his company, Dunamis Icon Limited, and his role as ALGON Delta Chairman, he launched the Delta State Local Governments Sports Festival, a visionary project that sadly did not gain national traction.
Still, Ikpokpo remained undeterred. Convinced that the Niger Delta must lead a renaissance in Nigerian sports, he conceptualized the Niger Delta Sports Festival — a grassroots- driven initiative aimed at rekindling widespread interest in sports, discovering and nurturing talent, and empower- ing youth through structured athletic development.
As with most ambitious projects, funding was a major hurdle. But Ikpokpo found a willing partner in the Niger Delta Development Commis- sion (NDDC). Known for its infrastructural and empowerment interventions across the region, Ikpokpo believed the NDDC could also drive sports development as a vehicle for social and economic transformation.
He credited the NDDC leadership with breathing life into the idea. Chairman Chiedu Ebie, who had previously revived the Delta Principals Cup through private sector partnerships; MD/CEO Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, a staunch advocate for youth empowerment; Executive Director of Admin & Finance, Alabo Boma Iyaye, a former three-time Sports Commissioner in Rivers State; and Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, Chair of the House Commit- tee on NDDC — all brought vision, passion, and strategic direction.