Akwa Ibom State has officially commenced activities for the 2026 Sports Festival with the presentation of the Unity Torch to the governor, Pastor Umo Eno, Ph.D.

Receiving the Unity Torch, today, at Government House, Uyo, Governor Umo Eno described sports as a unifying force and a multi-million-dollar industry capable of creating opportunities for young people while contributing to the economic development of the state.

Governor Eno said the success of last year’s edition prompted the state government to make the sports festival an annual event, particularly as it has provided a platform for discovering talents from the grassroots.

He said, “Last year’s event turned out to be a good moment in the evolution of our sports, and we decided to make it a yearly event. The sports festival led to the discovery of many talents who have made the state proud from the grassroots.”

The Governor congratulated Akwa Ibom athletes who have distinguished themselves at national and international competitions, noting that their achievements have brought honour and recognition to the state.

He cited the recent Niger Delta Games in Benin, where Akwa Ibom emerged as one of the leading states with 16 gold, 17 silver and 22 bronze medals, as evidence of the growing strength of sports in the state.

Governor Eno also noted that Akwa Ibom athletes have represented Nigeria in various sporting disciplines, including judo, wrestling and weightlifting, adding that three athletes from the state recently made the national contingent to the Commonwealth Games and returned with medals.

He said, “Just recently, the state made history by providing three athletes in the country’s contingent to the Commonwealth Games, and all came back with medals. I celebrate all of you.”

The Governor directed the Commissioner for Sports Development to ensure that the achievements of the medal-winning athletes are formally recognised during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Sports Festival.

He further directed that deserving athletes who have distinguished themselves in competitions should be considered for employment into the State Public Service, based on merit.

Governor Eno said the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, a two-time winner of the prestigious National Pitch Award, remains the home of the Super Eagles and a major venue for international football matches.

He announced that Akwa Ibom would host the Super Eagles on Friday, September 25, as part of activities marking the state’s 39th anniversary, assuring that the team would receive the traditional support and hospitality of the people.

On other sporting developments, the Governor said Akwa Ibom is currently leading the 2026 Rainforest Basketball League after the first stanza, with the team expected to consolidate its position when the second stanza resumes later this month.

He also recalled the successful hosting of the South-South Chess Championship at the Nest of Champions, describing the forthcoming iconic Sports Academy as another major investment designed to discover, develop and technically equip young athletes for national and international competitions.

Governor Eno prayed for continued peace and unity as the Unity Torch travels across the 31 Local Government Areas before returning to Uyo for the opening of the festival on September 21.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Sports Development, Elder Paul Bassey, highlighted the achievements of Akwa Ibom athletes, particularly those who recently represented Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games and returned with medals.

Among them are Edidiong Umofia, who won gold in weightlifting; Ruth Nyong, who secured silver in weightlifting; and Enju Ekuta, who won bronze in judo.

The Commissioner thanked Governor Eno for recognising and rewarding athletes who have represented the state, describing the gesture as a major encouragement to athletes and a boost to sports development in Akwa Ibom.

The Unity Torch was first presented to the Commissioner for Sports Development by medal-winning athletes. He subsequently handed it over to Governor Eno, who passed it to the Chairman of Uyo Local Government Council, Dr. Uwemedimo Udo, to begin its journey across the state.

Edidiong Stephen

The true measure of any sporting nation lies not in the trophies it celebrates today, but in the structures it deliberately puts in place to produce the champions of tomorrow.

It is within this context that Governor Umo Eno’s approval for the staging of the 2026 Akwa Ibom Sports Festival deserves recognition as a prudent and forward-looking policy initiative.

The approval, granted at a recent meeting of the State Executive Council, represents far more than the endorsement of another event on the state’s sporting calendar. It is a strategic reaffirmation of the role of sports as an instrument of youth development, social cohesion, crime reduction, and human capital advancement.

Across the sporting world, games of this similitude have long served as indispensable talent incubation platforms.

They provide athletes with the competitive exposure required to assess performance, sharpen technical abilities, and prepare for higher levels of competition. They equally afford coaches, scouts, and agents the opportunity to identify emerging prospects worthy of long-term investment and elite development.

The credentials of the Akwa Ibom Sports Festival are already well established.

The last edition unearthed a number of gifted athletes who have since progressed to become regional, national and African champions, vindicating the philosophy that sustainable sporting success begins with a vibrant grassroots ecosystem.

Jecinter Lawrence Andrew, an SS2 student of Community Secondary Commercial School, Ibiaku Itam II, who won six gold medals for Team ITU at the last edition of the Games, has continued her remarkable rise in athletics. She went on to clinch one gold and one silver medal at the Niger Delta Sports Festival before securing a gold medal in the 4x400m relay for Team Nigeria at both the African School Games in Angola and the African Senior Athletics Championships in Ghana.

Refusing to rest on her laurels, the talented youngster further demonstrated her immense potential by winning one gold and one silver medal at the recently concluded CAA U18/U20 Region II Championships, held in Dakar, Senegal, earlier this month. Her outstanding performances earned her qualification to represent Nigeria at the forthcoming World Athletics U20 Championships, Oregon 26, in the United States, next month.

Jecinter’s story is echoed by Etoro Bassey. The graduate of Mboho Unity Secondary School, Uruan, whose scintillating performance at the 2025 Games earned her three gold medals in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles events of tennis, has continued her impressive ascent in the sport. She went on to win one gold and one silver medal at the Niger Delta Sports Festival before adding another feather to her cap by clinching the women’s singles title at the 2026 CBN National Open Tennis Championships, held recently in Abuja.

The 2025 Festival is replete with similar stories of young talents who, having been brought to the fore through Governor Umo Eno’s life-transforming policy initiative, have gone on to excel in their respective sports, establishing themselves as emerging stars on the regional, national and even international stages.

The 2026 edition therefore presents another opportunity to broaden the state’s talent pool and strengthen its competitive advantage across multiple sporting disciplines.

The benefits extend well beyond talent discovery. The festival will stimulate healthy inter-local government rivalry, encourage mass participation in sports, promote discipline and teamwork among young people, and provide an objective framework for evaluating athletes ahead of regional and national championships. It will also generate economic activity for local businesses while reinforcing sports as a constructive pathway for youth engagement and social inclusion.

Ultimately, the success of the 2026 Akwa Ibom Sports Festival will not merely be measured by medals won or records broken. Its enduring legacy will reside in the number of promising athletes discovered, the opportunities created for young people, and the extent to which it consolidates Akwa Ibom’s reputation as one of Nigeria’s foremost nurseries of sporting excellence. Judged from that perspective, the decision to proceed with the festival is not simply timely—it is a strategic investment in the future of Akwa Ibom sports.

The 2024 African footballer of the year, Ademola Lookman, has joined the Spanish Giant, Atletico Madrid on after the two clubs reached an agreement.

The versatile, dynamic, right-footed 28-year-old has signed with the former Spanish champions on a contract running until 30 June 2030.

The winger has scored three goals in 19 matches across all competitions this season for Atalanta.

Lookman, who scored a hat-trick as the Italian side beat Bayer Leverkusen to win the Europa League in 2024, is expected to cost Atletico around 40 million euros ($47.5 million) according to media reports.

Born in London, Lookman began his career at Charlton Athletic before joining Everton.

After a loan spell at RB Leipzig he signed for the German side permanently in 2019, but was loaned back to Premier League sides Fulham and Leicester before moving to Atalanta in 2022.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone has been asking the club for more reinforcements after Giacomo Raspadori left for Atalanta and Conor Gallagher signed for Tottenham earlier in the winter transfer window.

Meanwhile in a thank you message on X (formally Twitter) the Nigerian international paid glowing tributes to the management, fellow players and fans of Atalanta for making the club his second home.

“To the Atalanta family , after nearly four years, the time has come for me to say goodbye. From the moment I arrived in Bergamo, you welcomed me like one of your own and pushed me to be the best version of myself.

“Together we made history. European champions, a night none of us will ever forget. Scoring a hat-trick in a European final and lifting a trophy with this club after a 61 year trophy drought will stay with me. Winning the Africa Player of the year award in 2024 as an Atalanta player will forever stay with me. Those moments, those emotions, those nights under the lights, they’re engraved in my heart.

“Thank you to my teammates, the staff, the club. To the fans, your passion, your belief, your energy meant everything. From day one, you stood by me and by this team through every moment. Your passion, your voices, your belief never faded and together we achieved.

“Every cheer, every banner, every away trip meant something. Thank you for making Bergamo feel like home and for giving me memories I’ll carry forever”.

Grazie di tutto, ciao 💙🖤”