National Sports Festival Opens in Colours

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said his administration decided to revive the hitherto moribund National Sports Commission in order to shield the administration of sports from bureaucratic bottlenecks and the distractions of vested power interests.

This, according to him, reflects the seriousness with which his administration regards sports, given the crucial role the sector plays in nation-building.The President stated this on Sunday when he formally declared open the 22nd National Sports Festival, termed ‘Gateway Games Ogun 2024’, at a colourful ceremony in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

President Tinubu who was represented at the event by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, noted that for Nigeria and its citizens, sports has graduated from a mere contest of physical strength to the soul of the nation’s togetherness and the “mirror that reflects the possibilities of a truly united nation.”

That is why, here in Nigeria, we have made sport a culture — not merely an event, but a way of life. Sport, to us, is a tool for national integration, a rallying ground for patriotism, and a workshop for shaping not just the body, but also the mind and the spirit of our people,” he stated.

The event had former President Olusegun Obasanjo, noble lauret Wole Soyinka and some state governors led by progressive governors chairman Hope Uzodinma in attendance.