The Akwa Ibom State Liaison Committee for the upcoming Niger Delta Sports Festival was inaugurated today at the office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports, located at 56 Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo.
This development is part of the preparations for the maiden edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival, scheduled to take place in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, from April 1st to 8th, 2025.
The festival is a sports development initiative of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), aimed at providing a platform for young athletes from the Niger Delta region to showcase their talents. The event is also part of NDDC’s 25th-anniversary celebrations.
At the maiden press conference held last week at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, which was attended by commissioners from all nine participating states, including Imo, Rivers, Cross River, Edo, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Ondo, and Delta, the Chairman of the Festival Planning Committee, Alabo Boma Iyaye, emphasized the importance of the festival in promoting sports development in the region.
The inauguration of the Akwa Ibom Liaison Committee follows a directive of the commission for State commissioners to establish their own organizing committees to work in tandem with the festival’s project consultants.
While inaugurating the committee, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Lady Nsa Bassey, charged the members to work tirelessly to ensure the success of the festival, saying:
“I charge you all to take this assignment with all sense of responsibility and commitment. You have been chosen to serve on this committee because of your expertise and experience in sports development. I urge you to bring your wealth of knowledge to bear on this assignment, and to work together as a team to ensure that Akwa Ibom State hosts a successful and memorable festival.”
The committee members are Brigid Otong – Chairperson, Inyang Ubong Uwah – Secretary Rt. Hon. Nse Essien, Lawrence Iquaibom, George I. Essien, Kufre Etukudo, Daniel Umoette, James James, Kate Ekuta, Janet Bassey.
Shortly after the inauguration, the committee swung into action with its first meeting, where members were broken into sub-committees and strategies were discussed in tandem with the competition’s structure and timeframe.
As hosts, the Akwa Ibom State Liaison Committee is among other things, tasked with provision and coordination of the state’s contingent for the event proper, while also lending effective support to the Main Organizing Committee, for the overall success of the festival in the state.
