NSC picks Enugu state to host 23rd National Sports Festival

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has chosen Enugu State as host of the 23rd edition of National Sports Festival. According to the NSC, the Coal City state emerged tops from a competitive bidding process evaluated by the sports commission. The National Sports Festival, a biennial multi-sport event, brings together thousands of athletes from Nigeria’s 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory to celebrate sportsmanship, national unity and sporting excellence.

Before Enugu State takes centrestage, the 22nd edition of the festival is set to hold in January 2025 in Ogun State, with the Gateway State buzzing with pomp and pageantry, as the Games draw closer. Former chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the Gateway Games, Bukola Olapade, who is now the NSC Director General, revealed that the Gateway Games will host over 15,000 athletes, while reaffirming that the NSC’s commitment to supporting Ogun State in delivering a premium tournament. Olapade, in statement, yesterday, by his Special Assistant on Media, Kola Daniel, said that with Enugu’s selection for the 23rd edition, the festival promises to uphold its legacy of excellence, inclusivity, and showcasing the best of Nigerian sports talents, while unearthing talents good enough to fly the nation’s flag internationally.



This will mark the first time the Southeastern state will be staging the event since its inception in 1973. The 21st edition of the Games was hosted by Asaba, Delta State, with over 11,000 athletes participating in the grand tournament. With Ogun State billed to host the next edition of the games in January next year, it also marks the first time the host of the subsequent Games is known before the end of the current Festival.

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