Akwa Ibom Unleashes 4,000 Athletes In 27-Sport Festival
By IFIOK UDOM
4,000 Athletes Take Centre Stage
MORE than 4,000 athletes from the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State are competing in the second edition of the Akwa Ibom Sports Festival, featuring 27 sporting disciplines.
Governor Umo Eno announced the figure while declaring the festival open in Uyo on Tuesday. Represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, Eno described sports as an important component of his administration’s ARISE agenda, particularly in youth development and empowerment.
The governor said the festival was designed to discover promising talents at the grassroots and provide young athletes with opportunities to develop their abilities.
Grassroots Talent Pipeline
Eno said the impact of the inaugural edition was already being reflected in the performances of athletes discovered through the programme.
According to him, athletes identified at the 2025 festival subsequently represented the state at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Games in Delta State, where they produced an impressive medal haul.
The team won 16 gold, 17 silver and 22 bronze medals at the competition. Eno said he had directed the Commissioner for Sports Development to arrange a reception for the successful athletes.
He also announced additional financial incentives for the athletes, saying the beneficiaries would receive their cheques.
The governor added that several junior athletes had continued to excel in their respective sports since the state festival was introduced.
Weightlifting Success Adds to Momentum
Eno also highlighted the performance of Akwa Ibom’s weightlifting team, which competed in Egypt and emerged African champions.
The achievement earned the team qualification to represent Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, further underscoring the potential of athletes emerging from the state’s sporting programmes.
He urged the participants in the 2026 festival to compete fairly, demonstrate sportsmanship and use the opportunity to showcase their natural abilities.
Registration Rules Tightened
Commissioner for Sports Development, Paul Bassey, said the ministry had addressed some of the problems recorded during the previous edition.
He explained that athlete registration had been moved online to strengthen transparency and prevent manipulation.
Bassey also announced a new eligibility rule designed to discourage athletes from switching local government areas from one festival edition to another.
Under the rule, an athlete who represented one local government in 2025 cannot move to another local government for the 2026 festival. Such a move, he said, would require at least three years.
The commissioner urged the athletes to avoid performance-enhancing drugs and compete with their natural abilities.
Potential Over Medals
Bassey stressed that winning a medal was not the only measure of success at the festival.
He said the ministry was more interested in identifying athletes with the potential to develop into elite competitors.
The competition, therefore, is expected to serve not only as a sporting contest but also as a talent-identification platform for Akwa Ibom.
Goodwill messages were also delivered by the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and other stakeholders, who welcomed the continuation of the state’s grassroots sports programme.
