With just weeks to go before the kick-off of the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games Ogun 2025, the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, has charged newly inaugurated sub-committees to deliver a festival defined by excellence, innovation, and national pride.
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Speaking at the inauguration of 19 sub-committees held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, Olopade reaffirmed the strategic importance of the National Sports Festival, calling it “Nigeria’s Olympics” and a critical platform for discovering and nurturing talents who will represent the country globally.
“Over the years, this festival has been the bedrock of sports development in Nigeria. It is where dreams begin, and where champions are made,” he said. “We have a responsibility to deliver a Games that reflects the very best of who we are as a nation.”
Olopade recalled that the Main Organising Committee had already been inaugurated by the former Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, with a clear mandate to ensure a seamless and successful event. He expressed full confidence in the sub-committees, describing them as capable hands chosen to implement the vision of the NSC.
“I am satisfied with the caliber of people that make up the sub-committees and have no doubt that the games will meet the expectations of Nigerians,” Olopade stated. “The ultimate goal is to host a festival that will resonate not only nationally but also on the international stage. Anything short of excellence is unacceptable.”
The Director General further urged members of the sub-committees to be proactive, dedicated, and result-driven, making it clear that “failure is not an option.”
Also speaking at the event, the Director of the National Sports Festival and Para-sports Department, Mrs. Thecla Opara, highlighted the operational significance of the sub-committees, describing them as the “foot soldiers” responsible for executing the plans of the Main Organising Committee.
In his remarks, Deputy Director Patrick Abobi, who spoke on behalf of the sub-committees, expressed gratitude to the Commission for the trust placed in them. He pledged their collective commitment to ensuring the successful delivery of the festival’s mandate.
The Gateway Games Ogun 2025, scheduled for May 16–30, promises to be a landmark event in Nigeria’s sports calendar. With Honourable Bukola Olopade at the helm of the Commission, expectations are high for a festival that will leave a lasting legacy of unity, talent discovery, and national pride.
