Concerns over Ogun’s readiness to host sports festival

Facilities’ inspection postponed again
For the third time in two months, a new date has been fixed for the inspection of facilities for the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged: ‘Gateway Games.’

This latest postponement has caused stakeholders to question Ogun State’s readiness to host the fiesta as scheduled.

Ogun State won the bid to host the biennial sports fiesta at the end of the last edition held in Asaba, Delta State in 2022. Going by its two-year arrangement, the 22nd edition of the Games is supposed to hold this year, but Ogun State choose January 2025 for the event, a date the Federal Government approved during the National Council on Sports held in Enugu State earlier this year.

It will be the second time Ogun is hosting the National Sports Festival, after hosting it in 2006 during the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

A Joint Technical Meeting, comprising Directors of Sports from all 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as well as top stakeholders, was earlier fixed for November 20 to 23 in Ogun State for inspection of all the facilities built or renovated for the Games. It was later postponed to December 11 and 13.

However, the date has again been postponed, creating an ‘impression’ that all may not be well with the facilities.

A letter, dated December 6, 2024, tagged National Sports Festival Ogun 2024, (NSC/NSFPS/22ndNFS/COR/VOL1/, obtained by The Guardian, yesterday, states: “I wish to refer to our earlier letter Ref No: FMSD/NSFPS/22ndNSF/COR/VOL1 dated December 1, 2024, on the above subject and to inform you that the 1st Joint Technical Meeting has been postponed.”

According to the letter signed by the Secretary of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the 22nd NSF, Mrs Thecla Opara, the