By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has directed the immediate acceleration of preparations for the 23rd National Sports Festival, Enugu 2026, assuring that the Games will hold as scheduled without postponement.
Mbah gave the directive on Wednesday when he received the Main Organizing Committee (MOC) Advisory Team for the Festival, led by its consultant, Dr. Kweku Tandoh, during a strategic working visit to the Enugu State Government House.
The meeting focused on the level of preparedness for the Games, milestones recorded by the MOC and Local Organizing Committee (LOC), as well as areas requiring urgent executive intervention to ensure the Festival meets international standards.
Following the deliberations, the governor directed immediate action on all issues raised and constituted a monitoring team to provide him with daily updates on preparations across the various areas.
He also ordered the immediate activation of the LOC Secretariat as the operational hub for Festival activities and directed the composition and activation of all LOC subcommittees.
In a move aimed at improving coordination and accountability, Mbah approved the reduction of the LOC subcommittees from 19 to 13, in line with what the committee described as global best practices.
The governor further assured that all sporting infrastructure earmarked for the Festival, including the Games Village and competition venues, would be completed and delivered ahead of the commencement of the Games.
He also directed the immediate activation of media, publicity and marketing strategies to drive nationwide awareness, promotion and mobilization for the Festival.
Mbah expressed his readiness to hold regular interface meetings with the MOC Advisory Team to review progress, address emerging challenges and ensure that Enugu remains on course for a successful hosting of the Games.
The advisory team assured the governor of the full support and commitment of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the MOC to work closely with the Enugu State Government towards delivering a peaceful, well-organised and memorable National Sports Festival.
The team said the event would provide an opportunity to showcase the talents of Nigerian athletes, as well as the cultural heritage of Enugu State and the South-East region.
The delegation included Dr. Emmanuel Igbinosa, also a consultant to the MOC; Mr. Sunday Odebode; Mr. Idowu Oladipupo; and Mr. Olumide Bamiduro, Secretary-General of the LOC.
The team also conveyed the goodwill of the NSC Director-General and Chairman of the MOC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, to Governor Mbah.
The delegation commended the governor and people of Enugu State for accepting to host the 23rd edition of the National Sports Festival, noting that it would be the first time since the Imo ’98 Games that a South-East state would host Nigeria’s biggest multi-sport event.
