Marcus Nkire
Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chiedu Ebie, has said the Niger Delta Games should evolve into a sustainable talent-development platform capable of producing athletes who will fly Nigeria’s flag at global competitions.
Ebie spoke during a review retreat organised by Dunamis-Icon Limited for stakeholders involved in the upcoming second edition of the Games. The session brought together members of the Main and Local Organising Committees to assess lessons from the inaugural event and fine-tune preparations for the future.
According to the NDDC chairman, the commission is determined to move the Games beyond a ceremonial sporting festival and establish it as a long-term legacy initiative.
“Our goal is to institutionalise the Niger Delta Games so that, in the years ahead, athletes discovered here will go on to represent Nigeria at events like the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and the All-Africa Games,” Ebie said.
He stressed that consistent evaluation and planning were critical to sustaining a competition of such scale, praising the organisers for convening a structured post-event review.
“When an event is meant to last, you must periodically examine what worked, what didn’t, and close identified gaps,” added Ebie, a former Secretary to the Delta State Government.
In his opening remarks, Itiako Ikpokpo, KSM, Managing Director of Dunamis-Icon Limited, explained that the retreat marked the second major review since the maiden Niger Delta Games held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Ikpokpo noted that organisers were focused on refining processes, improving competitiveness and delivering a richer sporting experience at the next edition.
“We are intentionally connecting the dots, asking tough questions and building on our experience to raise the quality of the Games,” he said.
Also in attendance was Desmond Amadin Enabulele, Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, who reaffirmed Edo State’s readiness to support the organisers toward a successful second outing.
The second Niger Delta Games is scheduled to take place from February 20 to 27, with athletes from the nine Niger Delta states expected to compete across multiple sporting disciplines.
