Sports
Rivers At 50: Entertainment, Arts And Culture
Located in the South-South geo-political zone of Nigeria, Rivers State, the Treasure Base of the country was created on May 27, 1967 by the General Yakubu Gowon’s administration. The state is presently divided into 23 local government areas with diverse ethnic nationalities, distinct languages and age-long cultural heritage.
Today, the state is known across the country and beyond as the hub of oil and gas activities and home for the second busiest seaport in Nigeria; her unique culture, peaceful co-existence and legendary hospitality stand her out among the rest of the states.
As the State celebrates her Golden Jubilee of success, peace, unity and even development under the people-oriented administration of the amiable golden governor, Chief (Barr) Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, it is important to reflect on the past laudable achievements of the state in the last 50 solid years of eventful existence. This will be incomplete without the contributions of our indigenous entertainers whose exploits have turned them into stars and celebrities of international repute viz-a viz movies, music, comedy, tourism, arts and culture.
Movies
In Nigeria’s movie industry popularly known as Nollywood, Rivers State indigenes are not playing second fiddle, rather the state boasts of leading stars in the make believe industry. Since the emergence of Nollywood in 1992, Rivers State has contributed immensely towards its development and global recognition. It is on record that most of the leading stars in the industry passed through the state on their way to stardom, graduating from the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT). Apart from that, indigenes of the state also hold sway in the industry which today comes just behind Hollywood of America and Bollywood of India.
Some of these indigenous stars who have made the state proud include: Ibinabo Fiberesima, President, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), former Glo Ambassador, Monalisa Chinda-Coker, Nollywood screen goddess, Tonto Dike, celebrated Nollywood costumier and AMAA Award Winner, Amb. Milliscent Jack, Maureen Ihua, etc. Also on parade are veteran actors and producers such as Dr Sam Dede, Columbus Irosoanga, Prince Tonye Princewill, Gentle Jack, Walter Anga, Alaso Wariboko and former state chairman of Association of Movie Producers, Engr Reginald Orlu, among others. The State has a good number of cinema houses where most of their movies are premiered such as Silverbird Cinemas, Genesis De Luxe, The Film House, etc.
Music
The development of modern music and dance in the state has its foundation in the culture and traditions of the various communities. These communities have their unique music and dance patterns which they use in entertaining themselves and important guests or to celebrate important cultural events. Rivers State remains a state to be reckoned with in the Nigerian Music Industry as she has produced some of the veteran highlife musicians who have distinguished themelves locally and interenationally such as cardinal Rex Lawson, King Sunny Brown, Prince David Bull and Jackwest Omodu of the defunct Garden City Band, all of blessed memories and the Great Sinya among others.
It is obvious that today, the number of stakeholders in the music industry in the state is ever increasing. Most of the present day artistes are enjoying corporate sponsorships and endorsement deals for their unique talents. Some have recorded unprecedented album sales sometimes running into hundreds of thousands of copies, others have won prizes and prestigious awards in international contests and other events, hence attracting more investments from many sources.
Some of these modern indigenous artistes are Daniel Wilson, Duncan Mighty, Muma Gee, Lexy M, Lady IB, Peter Stone Cold, Kikis, Oba Omega, Sotty Horsefall and Robin Maja, current state chairman of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) among others. These stars have left indelible footprints in the Nigerian Music Clan and the international community.
Comedy
In the comedy clan, the state has produced the best of the humour merchants the country could boast of, who have paid their dues in the industry. Gone are the days when comedy was regarded as a pastime of the unserious, the uneducated and jesters who were paid pittance for their folly. Today, comedy has transformed into a big business, turning its practitioners into millionaires and throwing up a huge industry with several direct investment opportunities and support services.
Among the wave-making indigenous comedians are Julius Agwu, Prince Hezekiah, Dan D’ Humerous, Angel D’ Laugh, Rugged Pastor, Yibo Koko, Micheal Ogolo, Iyowuna Obomanu, Basorge Tariah, late Boma Erekosima and several others. These rib crackers have metamorphosed from mere clowns who were paid peanuts into millionaires.
It is also on record that within the past years, the state has distinguished herself as a centre of arts, culture and tourism in the country as showcased in the various achievements recorded so far.
Arts
Arts generally refers to the use of imagination to express ideas or feelings particularly in paintings, drawings, sculpture and literary works.
The high quality works of Arts in the State represent the evidence of early civilisation and ancestral cultural heritage of the people, patronised by tourists, royal fathers and wealthy personalities in society.
Some of these works include swords, scepters, royal drums, various royal regalia, carvings, iron and marble objects etc. The Rivers State landscape appears to be incomplete without works of art. Most public places and museums are adorned with artistic works that tell tourists about the dominant cultural heritage, values and activities of the people of Rivers State. Art exhibitions are held regularly to promote these works. There are also art galleries that showcase the various art works. This sector is also a source of tourist attractions and revenue to the state.
Culture
The Nigerian government in September 1988 launched the national cultural policy. The policy defines culture as “the totality of the way of life evolved by people in their attempt to meet the challenges in their environment which gives order, meaning to their environment, social, political and economic aesthetics and religious norms and mode of organisation, thus distinguishing a people from their neighbours”.
The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has the mandate to put in place programmes and events that will attract international, national and local tourists to savour the rich cultural activities and tourist sites for relaxation and education as well as promote the diverse cultural heritage of Rivers people and identify and develop the tourism potentials of the state as a means of job creation and wealth generation, as well as inculcate pride and dignity in our local artwork and cultural values. This is to establish and brand Rivers State a choice destination for cultural tourism beside oil and gas.
Some of the age-long cultural activities of the state include the annual Opobo International Boat Regatta, the Nwaotam Festival celebrated every 25th of December to welcome the new year and to eliminate the bad spirits of the previous year, celebrated by Opobo, Bonny and other communities of the state. There is also the Oki Festival, a ceremonial dance festival of the Kalabari Clan of the State, the “owu aru sun alali” of Kalabari was celebrated on 30th and 31s January 2009, performed by the Ekine Sekiapu Society.
It is a series of masquerades, it was celebrated in Buguma City previously in 1908, 1927, 1973 and 1991 by the Ekine Sikiapu under the leadership of the OPU Edi. Tradition has it that various masquerades are owned by both the community and the group of compounds which usually last between 15 to 20 years. Another important festival of the people of the State is yam festival. In most communities of the State, yam festivals are celebrated to mark the harvest period after which the people are free to eat the new yams complemented by delicious delicacies amidst the legendary hospitality and goodwill of the people. Musical instruments are usually rolled out in such occasions as well as wrestling contests to entertain the people and visitors alike.
Rivers State is also blessed with literary icons. Writers all over the world are regarded as cultural engineers of society because they help to create and lubricate the fabrics of society through their creativity. Rivers State has enjoyed greater patronage since the creation of the state, a leading example of the indigenous literary gurus is late Captain Elechi Amadi who wrote several novels and plays including The Concubine, The Great Ponds, Isiburu etc. These are best sellers that have succeeded in highlighting the culture and tradition of the state. The annual Garden City literary festival holds in the month of September to celebrate literature and arts in the state and many literary gurus attend the event.
Jacob Obinna
The January 16, 2026, deadline handed to Nigeria by the World Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to explain the circumstances surrounding multiple dates of birth for 17 Nigerian athletes may have triggered another round of trouble for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
In countries where sport is seen as a serious business, both governments and individuals treat age falsification as a crime due to the significant danger it poses to society.
Age falsification is a practice where athletes, coaches, or individuals within the system alter their ages to gain an unfair advantage, and in the process prevent younger and qualified individuals from career progression and employment opportunities.
Apart from leading to frustration and high youth unemployment rates, competing in lower age brackets or extending eligibility undermines the fairness, credibility and integrity that sports are meant to embody.
The ripples of such dishonesty stretch far, impacting individual athletes, programmes, and the global reputation of competitive athletics.
From a moral standpoint, age falsification erodes trust within the sporting community; it kills the morale of junior athletes, who train tirelessly only to compete against older folks or those who are more developed physically and mentally. This level of deceit not only denies younger athletes the recognition that they deserve but also creates an uneven playing field that violates the spirit of competition.
Beyond emotional consequences, the long-term damage could hinder the development of talented athletes, who may decide to walk away due to unfair competition.
In well-organised sports societies like the United Kingdom and the United States, severe legal penalties await offenders, including imprisonment and fines, as well as career consequences (loss of job, medals, or permanent bans), among others.
Such serious-minded countries see age falsification as fostering a culture of dishonesty and fraud, as other corrupt acts often move in tandem with it, making the system less efficient and effective.
To them, age falsification undermines trust and accountability within institutions, as it signals a corrupt and unfair system. It tarnishes a nation’s international reputation, leading to global ridicule and sanctions from international bodies like FIFA, World Athletics (WA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Conversely, in Nigeria, age falsification seems to have become a practice among certain individuals and organisations, as they see every competition as a “must-win” event to impress their patrons. Yet, there are some Nigerians who view age falsification as a systemic issue, driven by economic and social pressure from “pay masters”, not minding the results, which include breakdown of integrity, fairness, and efficiency at all levels of society.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), for the second time in two years, has become a centre of global attention, following a December 2, 2025, letter from the World Athletics’ Integrity Unit (AIU) that raised concerns about multiple dates of birth for 17 Nigerian athletes, who competed at the 2025 African Combined U-18/U-20 Athletics Championships in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In June 2024, the AIU queried the AFN following discrepancies in the ages of four Nigerian athletes, who were preparing for the World U-20 Championships in Lima, Peru.
The AIU said then that it “identified discrepancies regarding the date of birth (DOB) for at least four Nigerian athletes,” noting that “each of these athletes has at least two, and sometimes three or more, different DOBs, which have been used to enter competitions at different times.”
The AIU said: “It was not aware of any reason why these athletes appear to have completely different, multiple DOBs. It is also not clear whether the identification documents submitted by the athletes (such as passports) are true or whether they have been forged or falsified.”
The AIU letter on June 7, 2024, addressed to AFN President Tonobok Okowa and former Secretary Rita Moshindi, was signed by the Head of the Athletics Integrity Unit, Brett Clothier. It gave the AFN until Friday, June 21, 2024, to respond to the query.
Then, the AIU demanded that the AFN submit, among other things, the athletes’ current passport, all previous passports, birth certificates, national ID cards, documents submitted in support of passport applications, medical records, including hospitalisation records, dental records, vaccination records as well as education records, including matriculation records, school end-of-term/year reports and school examination results, among others.
In the current query, the AIU revealed shocking discrepancies, as Juliana Ademola Temitope, listed as born in 2005 in earlier competitions, had her date of birth suddenly changed to 2006 at the African Junior Championships.
Adeola Adenji Muideen appeared with a 2004 birthdate in Lagos, but astonishingly became 2009 elsewhere. Esther Aiffigbo competed in 2025 as a 2006-born athlete, yet her World Athletics profile lists 2002 as her year of birth.
Ibrahim Ajibare has no fewer than four different dates of birth, ranging from 2002 to 2009, while Emmanuel Blessing’s DOB was entered as 2007 at the Juniors, but 2002 at the Asaba Trials.
For the AIU, these definitely are not clerical errors, but deliberate manipulations designed to sneak overage athletes into junior competitions. The AIU has made it clear that such practices undermine the honesty standard of athletics and cast doubt on Nigeria’s integrity in global sport.
The demand by AIU is clear: the AFN must produce verifiable documents such as birth certificates, passports, school records, or medical files to prove the athletes’ true ages.
Anything less will trigger a formal investigation into age manipulation, a violation of the World Athletics Technical Rules and the Integrity Code of Conduct.
As it stands, unless the AFN produces credible, contemporaneous documents by the January 16 deadline, the country will face another round of investigations that may tarnish its athletes’ reputations and damage the country’s image.
Instead of answering the AIU’s direct questions on why athletes have conflicting dates of birth, the AFN elected to sit in judgment over itself by setting up a probe panel made up of some of its board members.
To some stakeholders, that is a conflict of interest.
A former President of the AFN, Olamide George, told The Guardian from his base in the United States of America that the issue of age falsification under the present AFN leadership has long been a troubling shadow over the federation’s integrity.
“The AIU’s introduction of stricter sanctions could represent a turning point in addressing this long-standing challenge,” George said. “For every cheat, there must be a penalty.”
The Ondo State-born sports administrator further said: “After thorough investigation by AIU, it could decide to suspend the affected athletes, ban officials implicated in the fraud, and penalise the federation, to deliver justice while signalling a commitment to reform.”
According to him, the AFN needs advanced biometric solutions or data verification systems to pre-empt tampering with documents like birth certificates.
“But the question is, ‘Is the leadership ready to lead? Is it equipped and prepared for leadership?’ What a shame. These measures put the spotlight not just on athletes, but also on the adults or institutions that enable such practices. After all, the root cause often lies in organised manipulation rather than individual decisions.”
George continued: “On the flip side, a key challenge is how to balance the punishment with fairness. Some athletes may find themselves penalised for actions they didn’t directly control, particularly minors whose documents were altered by parents, coaches, or administrators. This raises broader ethical debates.
“How do we ensure that sanctions deter dishonesty without unfairly punishing victims of a corrupt system? Governments and athletics’ governing bodies will need to walk a fine line between accountability and compassion.
Ultimately, these stringent measures are aimed at restoring confidence in the purity of athletic achievements.
Sanctions alone, however, may not be enough. I, therefore, call on the NSC to reform the AFN because the federation needs systemic reform, including better education, transparency, and more pathways for athletes to rise on merit. Only then can sports truly embody values like honesty, dedication, and perseverance; values worth preserving for future generations.”
“The AFN President, Tonobok Okowa, should be the first to stand accused. He failed to act when the issue first emerged, and his poor judgment in appointments has only deepened the rot.”
Even before setting up a probe panel to investigate the latest age falsification saga, the AFN boss, Okowa, had absolved the federation of blame, but fingered athletes and their coaches in the age-cheating scandal.
Speaking on a radio programme, Talk Sports, Okowa insisted that athletes and their coaches are responsible for the infractions. He described the behaviour of some athletes and their coaches as “worrisome.”
“This issue has nothing to do with the AFN. Athletes keep attending different competitions with their coaches, who register them with varying dates of birth. You can see somebody with a date of birth that is just about 13 days different. Is that a typographical error or whatever it is?” he asked.
Okowa explained that the federation, which had perfected its database, was shocked to find out that some athletes entered competitions using different dates of birth that differed from those in its database. “That is just what it is. What reason will a coach have to change the date of birth of an athlete? It is getting worrisome,” he said.
But the president of the Athletics Coaches Association of Nigeria, Solomon Aliu, disagrees with Okowa. He said that coaches should be absolved of the blame because they work with athletes given to them. Aliu, who is also AFN’s Head Coach, described the latest age falsification saga as more of a record-keeping problem.
“Anybody who is blaming age falsification by athletes on coaches’ doorsteps is being untruthful,” Aliu said.
“What I know about crime prevention is to make it difficult for the criminal to commit the crime by putting in place preventative measures. If the AFN Secretariat has a functional database with the relevant information about our athletes from their very first competition, i.e., Date of Birth and other relevant data, athletes or their coaches cannot wake up to change the athletes’ DOB without the Secretariat flagging such an athlete.
“Coaches are not the record keepers of the federation, and as such should not be blamed totally for this mess that we are faced with. I am happy that the NSC is taking the issue of age cheating in our sports seriously. I’m also certain that AFN will wake up to its responsibility to investigate properly and bring to book whoever is involved in this disturbing trend. Until that is done, I won’t accept anybody trying to tarnish the image of our hard-working coaches. We deserve to be patted on the back and not subjected to name-calling. Heads must roll, but let the head of the innocent remain on their necks. Let us all work together in cleaning up our sports, not just of age cheats, but also of dope,” Aliu stated.
To a former Secretary of the Delta State Athletics Association, Monday Akpoyibo, the age falsification scandal in the nation’s athletics became more rampant during the tenure of a former AFN president (names withheld).
“It was during his tenure as AFN president that the issue of age falsification became rampant because of his desire to win at all costs,” Akpoyibo told Tidesports source.
“In the days of Adeyemi Wilson and Dan Ngerem, they had zero tolerance for age cheats. If the AFN had a good database of its athletes, there would be no age falsification. As far back as the 1973 National Sports Festival, there were three categories of athletes. We had the U-13, Intermediate class and Men/Women class. This system enabled athletes to grow from one class to another as they mature into the Games. So, it was pretty difficult to cheat since the federations had your data,” Akpoyibo stated.
The Sky Blue Stars will make their long-awaited return on January 7, when they host Ikorodu City in their NPFL matchday 20 fixture, bringing to an end a five-month spell away from home in Abeokuta.
Chairman of the club, Kunle Soname, confirmed that the stadium was ready to welcome the team and its supporters again after major renovation works were carried out on the pitch.
“Renovation of the pitch has been completed and has been certified even by the FIFA inspection team. Our first game will be against Ikorodu City when the second stanza of the season resumes,” Soname told Tiesports source.
First opened in 2020 and hosting its maiden league fixture in 2021 following the club’s return from the second division, the stadium’s hybrid synthetic turf has now been replaced with a new surface after five years of use.
At the start of the season in August 2025, Remo Stars adopted the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, as their temporary home ground while renovation works were ongoing in Ikenne.
However, life in Abeokuta has proved challenging for the champions, who have struggled for consistency in their bid to defend the title. They opened the campaign with a 1-1 draw against Rivers United on August 22, 2025, before suffering home defeats to Rangers International on November 13 and Bendel Insurance, who edged them 3-2 on Sunday, December 21.
Remo Stars also played their CAF Champions League preliminary matches in Abeokuta but once again failed to reach the group stage. They cruised past Comoros champions Zilimadjou with a 5-0 aggregate victory in the first round, only to be outclassed by South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, who sealed a dominant 7-1 aggregate win after a 5-1 victory in Nigeria in October and completing the rout in South Africa.
Currently languishing in 16th position on the NPFL table with 22 points from 19 matches, Remo Stars will hope their return to Ikenne provides the spark needed to revive their campaign in the second stanza of the season.
Head coach Daniel Ogunmodede, who is currently on national team duty with the Super Eagles at the 2025 AFCON, had earlier attributed the club’s slow start in the league to the temporary change in home ground.
“It is not an excuse, but things might have been different if we had played our home games in Ikenne,” Ogunmodede said in August 2025, following the draw against Rivers United.
Remo Stars enjoyed a remarkable run in the league last season, clinching their first-ever title with 71 points, seven clear of second-placed Rivers United.
While they may no longer be in contention for the crown this term, it remains to be seen how much they can salvage from the campaign upon their return home.
Remo Stars owner Kunle Soname has launched a strong criticism of officiating in the Nigeria Premier Football League, calling for referees involved in what he described as clear and obvious errors this ongoing season to be held accountable and demoted, Tidesports source reports. .
Speaking to the media on Wednesday at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne, Soname said the club’s concerns were driven by repeated decisions that have, in his view, tilted matches unfairly.
Remo Stars currently sit 16th on the NPFL table, one place and one point above Barau FC in the first relegation spot, a sharp contrast to last season when they lifted the league title.
Soname referenced several incidents this campaign, including a recent game against Ikorodu City, the matchday 18 fixture involving Remo Stars and Insurance, as well as video footage from the Barau and Shooting Stars encounter, all of which he said highlighted inconsistencies in refereeing decisions.
He insisted that the issue was not a blanket attack on referees but a demand for accountability and consistency.
“Referees can be good. They can get the job done. They just decide to apply the rules in a different way. Now, we have just brought this out now because they are clear and obvious errors. But we all know football, there are many instances where their bias will not result in goals,” Soname said.
He added that the problem often lies in repeated marginal decisions favouring one side.
Say 50-50 calls, they are just consistently giving it to one side, one side, one side. So if there is a body that will watch all the games and that will hold them accountable and say, ‘Listen my friend, why is this a foul in this match for this team in yellow, and the same thing has happened here against them and it’s not a foul?’ Then everybody will sit up and the game will be fair.”
He added, “The committee should reward referees who are doing great jobs and punish those with poor officiating by demoting them to the NNL. It is not the kind of demotion that after one or two weeks they are back, they should be demoted for the entire season.”
Soname stressed that fairness was fundamental to the growth of Nigerian football.
“The better teams will win and that is how football can develop and grow in this country,” he said.
He was also keen to distance his comments from what he described as a misdirected attack on the Nigeria Football Federation.
They will say, ‘He’s attacking NFF.’ It has got nothing to do with NFF. NFF did not appoint referees. It is the committee that appointed the referees. NFF did not hold the whistle to come and do stupid things on the pitch,” he said.
According to Soname, responsibility must be shared between match officials and those who appoint them.
“The referees will carry their cross and the appointment committee will carry their cross as well. Under whose purview is the referee appointment? NFF committee appointed them. That is exactly what I’m saying,” he stated.
He called on the federation to ensure the right people oversee officiating.
“The NFF needs to put proper people there, proper people, that will just ensure accountability and fairness. That is all we require. And trust me, if there is fairness on the pitch, this football will grow astronomically in this country.”
Soname also rejected suggestions that Remo Stars had benefited from refereeing favouritism in the past, particularly during their title-winning campaign.
“Anybody that says he collected one cent from Remo Stars last season, season before last, season before that one, should come out and say it and I will sack that official the same day. That is not what we stand for,” he said.
“I challenge anybody, anybody. If the person can prove it, the person that did that in this club is gone the same day. Gone,” Soname said, adding that Remo Stars’ operations were transparent and could not conceal such payments.
Beyond officiating, Soname highlighted the broader financial realities of Nigerian football, noting that most clubs operate at a loss. He explained that Remo Stars rely heavily on their academy model to sustain the club.
However, he argued that financial strength should be expressed through squad building rather than manipulation.
“If you have more money, go and recruit Ronaldo, pay him, he will score 30 goals and you will win the league. Resources need to be channeled towards competition, towards fairness. It cannot be the other way,” Soname said.
