‘You have chosen the right state’: Governor Okpebholo says Edo state ready to host NDDC Sports Festival

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has pledged that the state is fully prepared to host the next edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival, scheduled for February 2026.

Okpebholo gave the assurance on Tuesday when the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Benin City. Welcoming the proposal, the governor promised that Edo would deliver a successful and memorable festival.

‘You have chosen the right state,’ Okpebholo declared. ‘We are not just the Heartbeat of the Nation for nothing. We have the strength, we have the athletes, and we have what it takes to win every sporting activity.’

Beyond sports, the governor appealed to the NDDC for partnership in rehabilitating the Agbor–Uromi Road, which he described as ‘not motorable,’ stressing its importance for economic and social movement across the region.

NDDC Managing Director, Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, congratulated Okpebholo on his one year in office and commended his administration’s strides in sports and infrastructure. He explained that the visit was to formally seek Edo’s hosting of the festival, themed ‘Beyond Oil: Harnessing Talents.’

Ogbuku noted that the maiden edition earlier this year attracted over 3,000 athletes from the nine Niger Delta states, and was designed to strengthen regional integration through sports.

He emphasized the need for collaboration between the NDDC and state governments, acknowledging that past tensions had hindered progress.

‘Your Excellency, NDDC is not a government. It is an interventionist agency. We must always work with state governors if we want to succeed. One of the greatest problems we had in the past was opposition from state governments, but we are bridging that gap,’ Ogbuku said.

He also highlighted ongoing and completed NDDC projects in Edo, including erosion control, ecological interventions, and internal roads at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, and Edo State Polytechnic, Usen.

‘We know these challenges are bigger than one state alone. That is why we seek partnership,’ he added.

The Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Amadin Desmond Enabulele, thanked the governor for his strong support and commitment to sports development.

The February festival is expected to draw athletes from Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, and other Niger Delta states, positioning Edo as a central hub for sports excellence in the region.