•Iyaye explains NDDC’s sports development efforts

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, believes that the state’s contingent to the maiden Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) has been primed to excel at the competition billed to start on April in Uyo, AkwaIbom State.

Abia is among the nine states expected to vie for laurels in 17 sports at the competition, which will hold in modern facilities spread across the Akwa-Ibom State capital and its environs.

Speaking while receiving the festival torch at Government House, Umuahia, Otticharged Team Abia to go and conquer in Uyo and come back to receive a state reception.

Otticommended the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for initiating the sports festival, which, he noted, will go a long way to create unity, spot and harness untapped talents in the Niger Delta states.

The state’s Commissioner for Youth and Sport, Nwaobilor Ananaba Nwadinma, had earlier received the torch at the Umuahia Township Stadium before leading Team Abia to the Government House, where it was presented to Otti, who treated the team to a dinner.

The team then proceeded to the governor’s yard, where the torch was lit and presented to the governor by the commissioner to the admiration of everyone, who witnessed the lighting of the torch.

Meanwhile, Executive Director, Finance, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), AlaboBomaIyaye, has affirmed that the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) was designed as an intervention project by the commission to develop sports using all youths in the region irrespective of gender and physical abilities.

Speaking on an Arise Television show yesterday, Iyaye said the NDSF speaks to global practices of inclusivity in sports and other aspects of life.

Explaining the rationale for including para-athletics and para-lifting in the 17 events, Iyaye said, “there are youths in the region with physical disabilities and they must enjoy the benefits of the NDDC intervention.”

“At the international level, we have the Paralympic Games organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to cater for persons with physical disabilities and the Niger Delta Sports Festival cannot deviate from the international best practices,” Iyaye, who also serves as the chairman of the NDSF Main Organising Committee (MOC), said.

Iyaye explained that the NDDC decided to extend its intervention programme to sports because it “is a powerful tool for national unity. We want to provide a platform for youths in the nine mandate states of NDDC to bond, to know each other and find expression for their talents.”

He said that the NDDC felt the need to regenerate the line of supply of athletes to represent Nigeria in international sports competitions, adding, “the festival will afford us the opportunity to discover new talents that will be nurtured to replace the likes of Blessing Okagbere, EnefiokUdo-Obong, Blessing Oborodudu, Victor Ikpeba, Emmanuel Amuneke, SeunOgunkoya and many others.”

Iyayi said that since its inception in 2000, the NDDC has championed the provision of infrastructure in roads, health care, education and skills acquisition, adding that delving into sports would enable those who may not be successful in education and artisan skills to build a career in sports.

The Niger Delta Sports Festival will hold in Uyo, AkwaIbom State from April 1 to 8, 2025 with about 3000 athletes competing in 17 sports.