Sports
NSC Fixes November 27 for Opening Ceremony of 2026 Coal City Games
…15 compulsory sports set to feature at the Games
The National Sports Commission, NSC, has announced that the highly anticipated 2026 National Sports Festival, tagged Coal City Games, will hold from the 27th of November to the 11th of December this year.
The Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, revealed this on Thursday during the first Main Organising Committee (MOC) meeting for the Games held in Abuja.
He stated that the arrival of states will be from the 25th to 26th of November, while the opening ceremony will hold on the 27th of November and the Games close on the 11th of December 2026, emphasising that the dates are all sacrosanct.
The DG said the final dates were agreed upon following a productive and fruitful meeting he had with the Governor of Enugu State, Barrister Peter Mbah.
“I must commend the Governor of Enugu State, Barrister Peter Mbah, who has shown tremendous enthusiasm in the aggression with which facilities are being built and completed for the Games. This is highly commendable.”
Hon. Olopade further opined that the Coal City Games will break and set a record of being the best sponsored and funded games in the history of the games in Nigeria.
“Let it be on record that the Enugu games, without any argument, is the best sponsored festival in history. The main sponsor, Premium Trust Bank, has made good their commitment and it is a very historic contribution to the festival”.
“The last record was the Gateway Games last year in Abeokuta, which many had described as the best festival ever, but I am very optimistic that Enugu is on the verge of hosting the best well-funded and best well-organised games later this year”.
The DG also stated that as part of the RHINSE reform agenda of the NSC to make hosting of the festival more affordable for states, the number of sports for the Games has been reduced to 20, with 15 NSC compulsory sports while the other five are within the prerogatives of the host state.
The compulsory sports that will feature at the Coal City Games are Athletics, Para Athletics, Badminton, Para Badminton, Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball, Boxing, Cycling, Football, Judo, Gymnastics, Swimming, Table Tennis, Para Table Tennis, Tennis, Taekwondo, Mixed Martial Arts, Weightlifting, Para Powerlifting and Wrestling.
Sports
NSC, NCC Enter Bold Alliance to Make Nigeria E-Sports Capital – From Stadium to Server
Joel Ajayi
The National Sports Commission (NSC) is taking Nigerian sports beyond the track and pitch into the digital arena.
In a move that could redefine the future of sports development in the country, NSC Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, on Thursday led a high-powered delegation on a strategic working visit to the Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Hon. Idris Olorunbe.
The meeting aimed at forging a groundbreaking partnership to accelerate sports digitalisation and position Nigerian e-sports on par with global standards.
During the meeting, Hon. Olopade made it clear that the NSC is ready to embrace technology as a core driver of growth.
“Our intention is to work closely with the Nigerian Communications Commission to improve sports science, especially e-sports, through viable sponsorship. We are counting on the NCC to help deepen connectivity and attract the kind of corporate backing that modern sports demand.”
He further emphasized the need for private sector involvement.
“Corporate Social Responsibility must play a stronger role in sports development. We cannot build a 21st-century sports ecosystem without the tech and telecommunications sectors at the table. With strong cohesion between the NSC and NCC, there will be measurable improvement in sports sponsorship and digital infrastructure.”
“The NCC has a critical role to play in making e-sports work in Nigeria. From internet speed to gaming infrastructure, their support is essential if we want our athletes to compete and win on the global stage,” the DG added.
NCC Chairman, Hon. Idris Olorunbe, responded with a strong statement that set the tone for what could become a landmark partnership:“Everything that can be done in traditional sports can also be done in e-sports. The question is not if we will do it, but how we are going to do it.”
He also highlighted the economic potential of the collaboration.
“There is huge economic value attached to this synergy. What we are trying to build goes beyond sports, it touches youth employment, digital innovation, and national branding. It is commendable that the DG has taken this step.”
Hon. Olorunbe further stressed the shared national objective driving both agencies.“The essence of this collaboration is to make our country better. For the sake of our e-sports athletes, we must build gaming hubs. We must create the environment, bandwidth, and policies that allow Nigerian talent to thrive.”
Both parties agreed to establish a joint technical working group to develop a roadmap for sports digitalisation, e-sports league structuring, and a national framework for attracting sponsors into the digital sports ecosystem.
The NSC–NCC alliance marks a significant step, potentially the first formal collaboration between Nigeria’s sports and communications regulators to build a sustainable digital sports economy.
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