Akwa Ibom gears up for Niger Delta Games

Posted : 07 March 2025

Ahead of the maiden Niger Delta Sports Festival in April, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, has embarked on an inspection tour of some sporting facilities in the state, assuring that the government will put everything in place to ensure the successful hosting of the competition.

With over 3,000 athletes expected from the nine Niger Delta states, the Sports Commissioner inspected facilities at the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre (DASAC), Ikot Ada Idem, where he was guided by the Chairman of the Governing Council of the centre, Chief Churchill Udoh, and the Rector, Professor Enoidem Usoroh.

Some of the facilities inspected included the football field, tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts, medical centre, male and female hostels, indoor sports hall, and the auditorium.

Elder Bassey thanked Governor Umo Eno for approving the hosting of the Niger Delta Sports Festival in Akwa Ibom, adding that the festival would provide the state with another opportunity to showcase its achievements and significant investment in sports infrastructure development and maintenance.

He expressed satisfaction with the quality of the sporting facilities at DASAC as well as the hostels, which have the capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 athletes during the sports festival, and thanked the management of the centre for maintaining the facilities.

At the West Itam Sports Centre, facility manager Victor Owokere conducted the sports commissioner around the handball, basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts, which are currently undergoing rehabilitation ahead of the sports festival.

Owokere lamented the level of vandalism at the sports centre and appealed for improved security to safeguard the facilities, especially after the rehabilitation work.

The Commissioner, who condemned the destruction of public infrastructure and the unauthorized use of government sports facilities, announced plans to set up a Stadium Management Committee to ensure the protection and maintenance of government-owned sports facilities across the state.

He commended the level of rehabilitation work at the Itam Sports Centre and assured that the centre would be properly managed after the Niger Delta Sports Festival, which is scheduled to be held from April 1–9.

The Commissioner was accompanied on the inspection tour by all the Directors in the Ministry of Sports, led by the Director of Sports, Mrs. Brigitte Oton.

Akwa Ibom gears up for Niger Delta Games

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