Preparations for the second edition of the Niger Delta Games have gathered momentum across participating states, with Abia and Imo activating their State Liaison Committees, while Delta State held a strategic working session with coaches.
The Niger Delta Games will take place in Benin City, Edo State, from 20 to 27 February 2026, featuring competitions across 17 sports.
In Delta State, the Liaison Committee convened a meeting with coaches on Tuesday as part of early preparations for the Games. The session focused on athlete selection and adherence to competition guidelines.
Speaking at the meeting, Harrison Ocholor, Secretary of the Delta State Liaison Committee, charged the coaches to ensure that only the best athletes emerge from transparent and competitive state trials.
Mr Ocholor told the coaches that the organisers of the Games — Dunamis Icon Limited and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) — had taken deliberate steps to ensure that the talent selection process strictly follows approved rules and regulations.
He also urged the coaches to study and make effective use of the technical booklet issued to them, noting that it contains essential guidelines for conducting the Games.
Meanwhile, in Abia State, the State Liaison Committee for the Niger Delta Games was formally inaugurated ahead of the trials.
The inauguration was conducted by Itiako Ikpokpo, co-chairman of the Main Organising Committee, who charged committee members to ensure the smooth implementation of all schedules of the Games, from athlete registration to local government and state trials.
Represented by the Project Director, Fred Edoreh, the Dunamis Icon Limited boss stressed the importance of strict compliance with the Games’ regulations. He warned that “age cheat and failure to present the required number of athletes for each sport will lead to disqualification of any offending state.”
The Abia State Commissioner for Sports, Ananaba Nwaobilor, assured the organisers and sponsors that the state fully aligns with the objectives, rules and regulations of the Niger Delta Games.
Speaking at the Aba Sports Club in Aba, Mr Nwaobilor described the Games as a timely boost to the Abia State Government’s sports development agenda under Governor Alex Otti. He said the initiative aligns with the administration’s drive to use sports as a tool to empower talented youths.
Represented at the ceremony by the State Director of Sports, Obioma George, Mr Nwaobilor said, “Abia State is an ardent believer in the objectives, rules and regulations of the Niger Delta Games. Our aim is to provide access to sports in all communities of Abia State, to discover and groom young talents and empower them to successful careers in sports, and we thank the sponsors, the NDDC, and the Project Consultants led by Sir Malik Ikpokpo for initiating the Niger Delta Games.”
The Abia State Liaison Committee is chaired by Mr Nwaobilor, with Onyebuchi Chukwu as secretary. Other members include Obioma George, Director of Sports, and Kingsley Kanu, Abia State interim chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).
In Imo State, the State Liaison Committee was inaugurated at the office of the Commissioner for Sports in Owerri.
Mr Ikpokpo, again represented by Mr Edoreh, reiterated the importance of compliance with age limits and registration requirements. He charged committee members to ensure massive mobilisation and timely registration of athletes on the official Games portal, stressing that only duly registered athletes would be cleared to participate.
The Imo State Commissioner for Sports, Obinna Onyeocha, commended the NDDC and Dunamis Icon Limited for sustaining the Games for a second consecutive year. He described the championship as a credible platform for talent discovery and development in the Niger Delta region.
Mr Onyeocha said the Niger Delta Games align with the sports development vision of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration, assuring that Imo State is fully prepared to participate and comply with all competition rules.
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“It is the mandate of His Excellency, the Governor of Imo State, for us to go to the grassroots to discover talents, and these Games have come to help us achieve exactly that,” Onyeocha said.
“On behalf of the committee, I assure you that we will insist on quality, thoroughness, discipline and total compliance.”
The Imo State Liaison Committee is chaired by Mr Onyeocha, with Mr Willie Okolieogwo serving as secretary. Other members include the Director of Sports, Justina Akpulo, and Kennedy Onwunali.