Sports
Iyaye Excited With Preparations Ahead Niger Delta Sports Festival
Joel Ajayi
Chairman of the Main Organising Committee of the Niger Delta Sports Festival, Alabo Boma Iyaye, has expressed satisfaction with the level of preparations ahead of the Niger Delta Sports Festival.
He disclosed this yesterday during an inspection tour of hostel facilities and competition venues around Uyo which are being prepared to host the event, the first ever sub-regional multi-sports competition in Nigeria, and an epoch making initiative towards sustaining the supremacy of the region in sports and reviving the sporting fortunes of the nation.
Iyaye who is also the Executive Director, Administration and Finance of the Nigeria Delta Development Commission, sponsors of the event, could not hide his excitement when he was shown round the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre pencilled for the accommodation of five of the nine states, as well as competitions in Basketball, Tennis and Volleyball.
Other facilities inspected include the West Itam Sports Centre, Ultra Fit Sports Centre, the Swimming Pool section of the Uyo Township Stadium, which is undergoing renovation, and the Cordelia Connely College. “I am really excited about the facilities and the level of preparations. From what I have seen, I can say that we are ready. What is left is just to dot some Is and cross some Ts. The consultants have done a great job, and it gives me joy.
“I used to think that Edo or Delta would be best qualified to host these games in terms of facilities, because they have recently hosted the National Sports Festivals, but looking at what Akwa Ibom has given to us, I am indeed proud”.
On the benefit of the festival, Iyaye said it is multi-pronged.
“We know that the Niger Delta Development Commission mandate states produce about 70 to 80 percent of Nigeria’s best athletes, but we have also observed the decline in our nation’s sporting fortunes, and as an interventionist agency which has been delivering on various infrastructural needs across the region, we find it necessary to intervene in sports, to provide opportunities for our youths to excel and to show the world that the Niger Delta is not only about oil. This is why the theme of the festival is “Beyond Oil: Harnessing Talents.
“But the festival is not only about talent discovery. It also leads us into intervention in sporting facilities, like we are doing now in Akwa Ibom”.
The Niger Delta Sports Festival, sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, holds in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, from April 1 to 8, 2025.
Sports
CGC Adeniyi charges Customs VC to make Nigeria’s First Lady proud
Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, CGC Adewale Adeniyi MFR, has charged the women’s volleyball team to make Nigeria’s First Lady, Her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu CON, proud during the 2025 African Women’s Club Volleyball Championship.
Customs are set to host the prestigious African Championship, which will take place from April 1st to 14th at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
Adeniyi highlighted that the team draws inspiration from the First Lady’s unwavering support for women’s sports and her significant contributions to empowering the girl child in Nigeria.
He expressed his deep gratitude to the First Lady for her continued commitment to the sporting community.
“I want to extend our appreciation to the First Lady, Her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu CON, for accepting to be the Grand Patron of this tournament and for being a pillar of sports in this country,” Adeniyi said.
He also acknowledged her dedication to teams like D’Tigress and the Super Falcons, praising her efforts to elevate women’s sports to the highest level.
Adeniyi emphasised the First Lady’s tremendous impact on the development of young girls, particularly through education and sports.
“I have followed what she does for D’Tigress and the Super Falcons; I believe that if the Customs volleyball team performs well, we stand a chance of making her proud.
“She has done a lot for the girl child in the area of education, bringing out the best in them, nurturing talent, and providing hope,” Adeniyi added.
The CGC expressed his confidence that Customs VC would deliver an outstanding performance as a token of appreciation for all the First Lady has done for women in Nigeria.
He said, “I am looking forward to something big that we can give to her as a present for all that she has been doing for Nigerian women.
“We have to make the First Lady proud, and I hope they deliver. With the backing of the First Lady and the aspirations of the entire nation, Customs VC is poised to make an unforgettable mark on the tournament.”
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