President Bola Tinubu has officially declared the 22nd National Sports Festival, known as the “Gateway Games 2024,” open in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The event, which began on Sunday, May 16, will run until May 30. Over 10,000 athletes from across Nigeria are taking part.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the MKO Abiola International Stadium, President Tinubu urged athletes to compete with integrity and good sportsmanship.
Tinubu said, “Indeed, nothing has brought the nation together like sport. Whether on the pitch, in the court, or on the track, we are reminded daily that we’re not strangers to one another. We are compatriots drawn from different roots but drinking from the same well of national pride.”
He added that his administration has made sports a key part of national development, reorganising the sports sector to stand alone as the National Sports Commission. He said this change is meant to free sports from political interference and allow it to grow independently.
“We want it to thrive, autonomous, innovative, and focused, because we recognize its critical role in making the nation healthier, stronger, and more united,” he said.
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Top dignitaries at the opening ceremony included former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, Governors Charles Soludo (Anambra), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), and Abiodun Oyebamiji (Ekiti), as well as former governors Olusegun Osoba and Otunba Gbenga Daniel. Sports legend Dr. Segun Odegbami was also present.
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, described the ceremony as “world-class and Ogun standard,” saying hosting the festival is an honour and a sign of the state’s commitment to national unity.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, praised Tinubu’s leadership, saying the new National Sports Commission will help sports become a stronger part of the economy.
“This is not just a sporting event; it is a celebration of our diversity, our unity, and our shared aspiration to build a stronger Nigeria through the power of sport,” Dikko said.
He also announced a new feature at the festival, the inclusion of over 200 Invited Junior Athletes, as part of President Tinubu’s efforts to support youth development.
Director-General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, said the festival will be one of the best in the country’s history. “We are sure and very convinced that this would be the best festival you’ll observe in the country. We’re convinced that the festival will produce many champions,” he said.
Olopade thanked Governor Abiodun for his strong support and said the festival would help discover and grow Nigeria’s next sports stars.