Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has announced the state’s full readiness to host the 2026 edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival, assuring that Edo will deliver a world-class event when athletes from nine states converge on Benin City in February.
The governor made the declaration on Tuesday when the leadership of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House.
“You have chosen the right state,” Okpebholo said confidently. “We are not just the Heartbeat of the Nation for nothing. We have the strength, the athletes, and what it takes to win every sporting activity.”
During the meeting, Governor Okpebholo appealed to the NDDC to partner with Edo State to rehabilitate the Agbor–Uromi Road, describing it as “not motorable” and critical for economic and social movement.
NDDC Managing Director, Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, congratulated the governor on his first year in office and commended his administration’s achievements in sports and infrastructure.
Ogbuku said the visit was to formally request Edo State to host the second edition of the Niger Delta Games, themed “Beyond Oil: Harnessing Talents.”
He noted that the maiden festival earlier in 2025 featured more than 3,000 athletes from Niger Delta states and was created to promote regional unity through sports.
He emphasized that closer cooperation between the NDDC and state governments is essential for development.
“NDDC is not a government; it is an interventionist agency,” he said. “One of our biggest challenges in the past was opposition from state governments. We are bridging that gap.”
The NDDC boss highlighted several ongoing projects in Edo, including erosion control works, ecological interventions, and road projects in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, and Edo State Polytechnic, Usen.
Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Amadin Desmond Enabulele, thanked Governor Okpebholo for his commitment to sports development, saying Edo’s modern sports facilities and renewed regional partnerships will make the February 2026 festival a benchmark for excellence.
The event is expected to feature delegations from Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Cross River, Imo, Abia, and Edo State.
Also present at the meeting were Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa; Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilo; Chief of Staff, Gani Audu; Chairman of the House Committee on Sports, Hon. Okogbe Donald; and other officials.
