Sports
NSC pledges support for power sector workers’ Games
The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, has pledged full government backing for the maiden Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry Games, describing the initiative as a strategic platform to deepen cohesion within the power sector and stimulate the sports economy.
Dikko made the pledge in a statement issued on Sunday following a courtesy visit by the management of the NESI Platform, organisers of the NESI Week 2026, which will feature sporting activities for workers and stakeholders across the electricity value chain.
According to the statement, the Commission is ready to provide technical and institutional backing for the games scheduled for November 15 to 20, 2026, in Abuja, bringing together generation companies, distribution companies, transmission operators, regulators, government agencies and other stakeholders under one platform.
He said the sector more commonly associated with megawatts, tariffs and grid collapses, Nigeria’s electricity industry is now turning to sports as a tool for unity, productivity and economic growth.
Speaking during the meeting, Dikko said the initiative aligned with the government’s agenda to expand the sports economy while promoting collaboration and productivity in critical sectors.
He said, “Our mandate here is to work for every sport, for every organisation, and to provide the enabling environment for every sport to prosper, whether it is grassroots sports, community sports, or organisational sports like the one you are trying to do.
“If we talk about harnessing the potential of the sports economy, it is not just about elite athletes. It is across all facets of the economy, top to bottom. What you are about to do, from the zonal qualifiers to the state levels and then the finals, will have a measurable economic impact.
”Drawing parallels with the long-running oil and gas industry games, Dikko noted that while the Oil and Gas Games are now in their 48th year, the electricity sector was only just beginning its own tradition.
“The one we concluded last weekend was the Oil and Gas Games, and they have been doing it for decades. You are starting something new. Small steps will lead to something big. This maiden edition will require technical support, experience and coordination, and we are here to give you that support,” he said.
Beyond recreation, Dikko argued that sports could foster peer review and collaboration within an industry often criticised for inefficiencies.
“This addition of sports will bring your people together. You will compare what other operators are doing in the industry and see how you can support yourselves to do your core business better, which is getting electricity across the country,” he said.
The NSC chairman urged electricity companies to embed community sports infrastructure into their operations, particularly in areas hosting substations, power plants and transmission facilities.
“You should not just do the games and stop there. Think about legacy. Within the areas where you operate, look at supporting grassroots sports. If there is an open space, build a small basketball court, a football pitch, or a tennis court,” he said.
“If you do that, you are not just creating future stars. You are enhancing security. The young people around those facilities will channel their energy into positive engagement instead of negative activities.”
According to him, investing in grassroots sports within host communities could help protect critical national infrastructure by strengthening community relations and youth engagement.
Earlier, the Chairman of the NESI Platform and head of the steering committee for NESI Week 2026, Obiora Anthony, described the games as a landmark initiative for the power sector.
“NESI Games 2026 is the first nationally structured sporting event for the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry. This industry comprises generation companies, distribution companies, the transmission operator, regulators, energy agencies, investors and even consumers. It is a large value chain,” he said.
He explained that the games would promote workforce wellness, leadership development and cross-sector collaboration, aligning with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda on growing the sports economy.
“This event will give an opportunity for workforce wellness, leadership development and national sports development. It is structured in phases, regional qualifiers, quarter-finals in October, and the national finals in November 2026 here in Abuja. We hope tow the finals at the National Stadium,” Anthony said.
He added that the sporting fiesta would be embedded within NESI Week 2026, a broader convening platform that brings together policymakers, regulators, operators and private sector leaders in the energy ecosystem.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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