Sports

ATCN Partners Promoter for World-Class ‘Motorsport Festival’ in Nigeria

Published

2 years ago

March 4, 2025

By Joel Ajayi

In its continued efforts to promote motorsport in Nigeria and generate economic value for the country, the Automobile and Touring Club of Nigeria (ATCN) has partnered with a prominent promoter to host an upcoming event dubbed the Motorsport Festival in Nigeria and beyond.

At a signing ceremony held on Tuesday in Abuja, the President of ATCN, Ishaku Bamaiyi, expressed that this partnership will usher in a new era for motorsport development in Nigeria.

The Festival of Motorsport aligns with the missions and visions of both ATCN and the Nigerian Sports Commission (NSC). According to Bamaiyi, today, March 4, 2025, marks a significant milestone in the development of motorsport in Nigeria, particularly grassroots development through the Festival of Motorsport.

“This event will create an industry that not only improves statistics but also adds economic value for promoters, competitors, and the Nigerian economy at large,” he said.

The Festival of Motorsport is a multi-disciplinary event offering Nigerians the opportunity to showcase their talents as competitors, officials, marshals, motorsport marketers, commentators, photographers, videographers, engineers, and more.

“We will soon see the results of our collective efforts,” Bamaiyi stated.

He further explained that the event will boost the country’s economy, promote global tourism, enhance environmental protection, and raise awareness about road safety. The festival will advocate for safe, affordable, and clean transport for all.

The President also identified several potential disciplines for motorsport development in Nigeria, including Junior and Senior Karting Sprint, Karting Slalom, Karting Endurance (4-hour race), Drifting Auto Slalom, Cross Car, and Digital Motorsport.

Reflecting on the progress made by ATCN in recent years, Bamaiyi highlighted the federation’s initiatives in training competitors and organizing events aimed at encouraging development, all without financial commitment from participants.

“Nigeria participated in the FIA Motorsport Games in 2022 in France and will compete in Spain in 2024. We finished in the quarter-finals in GT and the semi-finals in F4 in the esports categories. Our sole competitor in the senior Karting Sprint showed significant improvement,” he added.

Bamaiyi also revealed that the federation is set to launch a Motorsport App soon, which will be used to communicate and raise awareness about motorsports in Nigeria and beyond.

In his remarks, the promoter of the Motorsport Festival, Alhaji Basril Ibrahim, expressed his commitment to bringing world-class motorsport events to Nigeria.

“This is an opportunity to contribute to the development of motorsport in Nigeria,” Ibrahim said. “We are here today to sign this agreement for the Festival of Motorsport, and we believe it’s a great opportunity to contribute to motorsport development in Nigeria. Motorsport in Nigeria holds so much potential, and we need to turn these potentials into success.”

He added, “Look at how Formula 1 has become a daily part of everyone’s life. In 2021 alone, Formula 1 generated over $22 billion, and it’s projected to reach $25 billion by 2030. This presents a huge opportunity for Nigeria.”

Ibrahim emphasized that the signing of this agreement is not just about the financial aspect but also about grassroots development. “We are eager to nurture our young people here in Nigeria and take our motorsport to a world-class level. We hope this event will serve as the launchpad for promoting Nigeria on the global motorsport stage.”

The Festival of Motorsport is expected to become an annual event, raising awareness that Nigeria is ready for motorsport on the global platform.

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Sports

AFN COO, Dr Nneka Calls For Increased Investment In Grassroots Athletics, Sports Facilities

Published

3 hours ago

November 14, 2026

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Operating Officer, COO, Dr Nneka Ikem Anibeze has called on state governments and universities across the country to invest in athletics facilities and grassroots competitions to discover and nurture emerging talents.

Anibeze, who expressed delight at Nigeria’s achievement at the just concluded Youth Olympics where Nigeria won 3 Gold medal in athletic in Dakar, Senegal, said sustained investment in infrastructure, coaching and regular competitions would help the country build a strong pool of homegrown athletes capable of representing Nigeria successfully at international competitions.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Youth Olympic Games, she described Nigeria’s performance as encouraging and unprecedented, expressing satisfaction with the progress being recorded by young athletes.

The Senior Assistant Media & Publicity to the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Anibeze particularly commended the National Sports Commission (NSC) for creating opportunities for athletes to participate in international competitions, noting that exposure to major championships was essential for their development.

According to her, taking athletes to competitions, including the youth championships in Oregon, has helped expose young talents to international standards and provided valuable experience for those travelling outside Nigeria for the first time.

Anibeze noted that although some athletes were still developing, their performances demonstrated the benefits of regular international exposure and the need to sustain the momentum.

She said: “I feel very happy that this is happening in our time. It is unprecedented, and I am particularly delighted that we are beginning to see the results of these efforts.

“We must also appreciate the National Sports Commission for making it possible for our athletes to be exposed and given more competitions to participate in.”

The AFN COO stressed the need for Nigeria to look beyond athletes based abroad and deliberately develop the enormous athletic potential within the country.

She maintained that Nigeria had abundant homegrown talents who could compete at the highest level if provided with the right opportunities, facilities and support systems.

Anibeze explained that the federation was working towards securing sponsorship for more competitions, including all-comers meets, grassroots championships and school sports programmes.

Also She stated that plans were underway to organise more intermediate and grassroots competitions in Lagos and other parts of the country, particularly next year, to expand the talent discovery network.

According to her, such competitions would provide opportunities for young athletes to demonstrate their abilities and progress through the national athletics development structure.

She identified inadequate sporting facilities as one of the major challenges confronting athletics development in Nigeria, urging state governors to construct standard running tracks and mini-stadia in their respective states.

“If we have more tracks in our communities, people will not have to wait until they come to Abuja before they can train and compete.

“You can imagine that the girl who just performed was fine-tuned within two or three weeks. If she had access to better facilities and a good coach, the sky would be her limit,” she said.

Anibeze also urged universities to prioritise sports infrastructure, citing the University of Oregon in the United States as an example of how educational institutions could contribute to the development of world-class athletes.

She said Nigerian universities could build athletics tracks to support students with sporting potential, adding that stronger university sports programmes would also improve the country’s representation at the World University Games.

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