NDDC chairman Ebie wants future Olympians from Niger Delta Games

The Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board, Chiedu Ebie, says the Niger Delta Games should be developed into a long-term talent pipeline capable of producing athletes who will represent Nigeria at major international competitions, including the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and the All-Africa Games.

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Mr Ebie spoke during a brief stopover at a retreat organised by Dunamis-Icon Limited for key stakeholders involved in the second edition of the Niger Delta Games. The session brought together members of the Main Organising Committee and the Local Organising Committee to review the maiden Games and chart a clear path for future editions.

The NDDC chairman said the commission’s leadership is keen on institutionalising the Games as a legacy project that goes beyond a one-off sporting event.

“The board of the NDDC wants to make the Games our legacy project, such that there will come a time in the future when athletes discovered at the Niger Delta Games will be representing Nigeria at international events such as the Olympics,” Mr Ebie told participants.

He commended Dunamis-Icon Limited for convening the review session, noting that structured evaluation is critical to sustaining large-scale sporting events.

“When you want to institutionalise an event such as the Games, you have to hold reviews like this to ensure that gaps are identified and closed,” said Mr Ebie, a former Secretary to the Delta State Government.

In his welcome address, Itiako Ikpokpo, KSM, managing consultant at Dunamis-Icon Limited, explained that the retreat was the second review session since the inaugural Games held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He said the organisers were focused on learning from past experiences to deliver a more impactful competition.

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“We are working to connect the dots, ask ourselves hard questions and see how we can organise a richer and more competitive Games,” Mr Ikpokpo said.

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Also present was the Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Desmond Enabulele, who reaffirmed Edo State’s commitment to supporting the organisers to ensure a successful second edition.

The second Niger Delta Games is scheduled to hold from 20 to 27 February, with athletes from the nine states in the Niger Delta region expected to participate.