Sports
NIGER DELTA GAMES PANACEA TO YOUTH DEV”
It was another colourful opening ceremony that was characterised by fanfare at the second edition of the Niger Delta Games (NDG) on Friday at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State.
The nine oil-producing states, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Imo, Ondo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Abia, and the host, Edo, are all participating and colourfully dressed during the march past.
The ceremony was witnessed by people from all walks of life, including the governor of the state, Monday Okpebholo, and other top government functionaries in the country.
While declaring the event open, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu lauded the initiators and organisers for a sports competition that aimed at developing and discovering young talents in the region.
The President further emphasised the federal government’s commitment to the promotion of sports as a pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
President Tinubu was represented by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade, and Investment, Senator John Owan-Enoh, said the Games symbolised the transition of the Niger Delta from a region once enveloped by restiveness to an area of peace, security, and sustainable development.
Speaking, the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, said sports provides a veritable platform for fostering regional integration, healthy competition, and national cohesion.
Governor Monday Okpebholo commended the Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NDDC) vision for using sport as a means of youth empowerment, regional integration, and sustainable peace in the region.
Managing Director of the NDDC Dr Samuel Ogbuku emphasises that the competition targets amateur athletes in the region and groom them for stardom.
By: Tonye Orabere