National Sports Festival: Mbah inspects facilities, reassures of world-class games

Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, says his administration is committed to delivering a world-class and memorable 23rd National Sports Festival (NSF), tagged “Coal City Games.”

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Mbah also assured of the readiness of all the facilities ahead of the Games slated for 27th November to 11th December 2026.

The Governor spoke at the weekend during a tour of Awgu Games Village, one of the venues slated for the NSF, for a firsthand assessment of the quality and speed of work at the site, stressing that the Awgu Games Village, which had long been abandoned, would emerge as a world-standard sports facility in less than two months.

“Recall the commitment we made as a government that we are going to make the 23rd National Sports Festival one of the most memorable festivals in the history of the event.

“So, the construction of a one-thousand-capacity-bed hostel is ongoing. We also have the construction of outdoor and indoor courts ongoing.

“A standard FIFA pitch is also under construction. We equally have an eight-lane track, and these are all world-class.

“I have to come because we have a very tight timeline and this project must be ready. It means that in less than two months, this place will no longer be a construction site. It will become a world-class Games Village. In less than two months, what you will have here is a proper venue that will be hosting contingents from across the country,” he said.

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Mbah, however, added that his administration was not just building for the NSF, noting that the massive development of sports facilities was in line with his campaign promise to make Enugu State the preferred destination for investment, business, tourism, and for living.

He said the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium was already being upgraded into a FIFA-standard stadium, describing sports as not just recreation and a veritable tool for social cohesion, but also big business if well harnessed.

“As you also know, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium is receiving serious attention. We are upgrading it to a world-class standard.

“These facilities will be ready. I have personally committed to the team from the National Sports Commission, who came on a monitoring visit, that we are not interested in shifting the date. The dates are already fixed for the 23rd National Sports Festival.

“We are carrying out a comprehensive reconstruction and transformation of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium. We are installing a new FIFA-standard football pitch and a new athletics track. We are rehabilitating and reinstalling the spectator seats, replacing damaged ones, and constructing a new roofing and canopy system to cover the entire spectator stands.

“We are upgrading the VIP and VVIP stands, the players’ changing rooms and other associated facilities. We are upgrading the stadium gates and access-control system to an electronic system, installing two new LCD scoreboards, perimeter LED display boards and protective perimeter mesh fencing around the main bowl. The floodlighting system and other electrical and mechanical services are also being upgraded.

“We are also cladding the external areas of the stadium to give the entire complex a new, modern architectural appearance and aesthetic ambience. There are extensive finishing works, external works, landscaping and improvements to the access and general environment of the stadium.

“Beyond the main stadium bowl, we are building a new Olympic-size swimming pool with its associated facilities. We are transforming the Indoor Sports Hall and constructing and upgrading indoor and outdoor sporting facilities, including volleyball, basketball, squash and other sports, together with their pavilions and supporting facilities.

“So, what we are doing is not simply renovating a football stadium. We are transforming the entire Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium complex into a modern, world-class multi-sport facility.

“Therefore, for us, it is not just about the efficiency of organising the festival. We are equally interested in the Enugu experience of the athletes. We are interested in their accommodation, their logistics and their overall experience, and we are putting everything in place to make this festival a truly memorable event for the contingents, officials and everyone involved in the management of the Games.”

In Mbah’s company during the tour were the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Barr. Lloyd Ekweremadu; Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Osita Okoh; Commissioner for Human Development and Poverty Eradication, Prof. Benedett Okoli; Special Adviser to the Governor on Project Development and Implementation, Arch. Uche Nwatu; and Chairman of Awgu Local Government Council, Hon. Uchenna Okolo.

The host Council Chairman, Okolo, commended Mbah for bringing life back to Awgu Games Village, noting that the transformation of the Games Village would speed up the development of the local government and the state in general.