Tinubu declares National Sports Festival opened, urges competition with integrity

Tinubu said his government has broken the sport administration from the shackle of vested interest and politics.

“We want it to thrive, autonomous, innovative, and focussed because we recognised it critical role in making the nation healthier, stronger and more united Nigeria,” he said.

He insisted that sport remains of the forces for national cohesion.

“Indeed, nothing has brought the nation together like sport, whether on the pitch, in the court, or on the track. We are reminded daily that we’re not strangers to one another, we are compatriots drawn from different roots but drinking from the same well of national pride,” he said.

Speaking during the event, Gov Abiodun described the opening ceremony as world – class and Ogun standard.

According to him, hosting NSF is not just an honour for Ogun, as it reflects the state’s commitment to national development.

Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, commended the Ogun state government for accepting to host the festival, which, according to him, demonstrated its commitment towards sports development.

The 22nd National Sports Festival, known as the "Gateway Games 2024," which will take place in the capital of Ogun State, Abeokuta, was formally opened by President Bola Tinubu on Sunday.

Tinubu urged the athletes to compete honorably and with integrity in the spirit of true sportsmanship. Tinubu was represented at the event by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, Governors Charles Soludo, Abiodun Oyebamiji, and Sen. Ademola Adeleke of Anambra, Osun, and Ekiti States were also present at the opening ceremony, which took place inside the main bowl of MKO Abiola International Stadium in Kuto, Abeokuta.

The National Sports Commission's Director General, Bukola Olopade, former state governors Chief Olusegun Osoba and Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who currently represent Ogun East in the Senate, former international Dr. Segun Odegbami, and other prominent political figures and sports fans from all over the nation were among the other dignitaries.

It is estimated that more than 10,000 athletes attended the event between May 16 and May 30, 2025.

When he announced the opening of the sporting carnival, Tinubu claimed that nothing brings Nigerians together like sport and that it is still the essence of their unity.

"Sport administration was reorganized to become a stand-alone National Sport Commission because the government recognized sport as a way of life," he stated.

"Sports have always been a true vehicle to highlight the nation's unity and variety," he said.

“It is not just a sporting event; it is a celebration of our diversity, our unity, and our shared aspiration to build a stronger Nigeria through the power of sport,” he said.

He praised President Tinubu's steadfast support for the sports industry and visionary leadership.

According to him, Tinubu's audacious move to transform the federal ministry of sports into the National Sports Commission through social reorganization has set the stage for the athletic industry's long-overdue professionalism to expand sustainably.

Additionally, this ruling has made sports one of the main engines of our economy.

Indeed, this demonstrates Mr. President's forward-thinking outlook and his willingness to make audacious choices—as long as he feels they are right and in the best interests of everyone.

"History will be kind to Mr. President for this choice, not just in the realm of athletics but also in other areas of the nation's politics and society.

"We established the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) for the first time in the history of the sports festival and in accordance with the Tinubu government's objective. We have more than 200 of them participating in this festival," he stated.

The 2024 sports festival "will be the best athletic festival ever in the country's annals of history," according to NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade, who made this statement in his own words.

Numerous champions with untapped abilities will emerge from the festival, he continued, and he assured them that they would be fully developed.

Olopade praised Governor Abiodun for his steadfast dedication and support in making the festival a success.

"This is a very emotional speech for me," the NSC DG continued. As a sports commissioner in Ogun, I stepped on the stadium's tracks 19 years ago.

We firmly believe that this will be the greatest festival you will ever see in the nation. We have no doubt that the event will yield a large number of champions.